About the BASNCR

Our Mission:

To promote an appreciation of botanical art by offering programming that showcases this art form, by supporting educational activities that promote the knowledge of botany and the preservation of native plant species, and by providing opportunities for interactions that inspire the artistic creativity and support the growth and development of our members.

Click here for Bylaws of The Botanical Art Society of the National Capital Region

Officers, Board Members, and Committees


Pamela Mason President	Kelly Sverduk Vice President/President-Elect	Judy Rodgers Treasurer

Laura Gilliam Secretary	Jerry Kurtzweg Newsletter Editor	Sandra Becker Education Chair

Barbara Sweeney Newsletter Designer/Printer	Kathy Lutter Newsletter Distributor	Heidi Copiz Membership Co-Chair

Kathy Brahney Exhibitions Chair	Harriet Weiner Exhibitions Co-Chair	Jane Dowling Education Co-Chair
Lee D’Zmura Membership Chair Jane Zander Newsletter Co-Editor
	Kim Oster Website Coordinator

Children’s Day 2010 at Brookside Gardens

Armed with watercolor paints, brushes, and fruit and vegetable coloring sheets, a handful of BASNCR members staffed our booth at Children’s Day on September 18^th. The beautiful fall weather drew over 3,000 people to Brookside, so there was seldom a dull moment for the volunteers. They set up painting stations, helped kids (and sometimes parents) with watercolor techniques, and cleaned up the occasional spill. Some very impressive work was turned out by the young artists, and it was an excellent opportunity to introduce a new audience to botanical art.

Laura Gilliam works with young artists at Children’s Day.

BASNCR Members Attend 2009 ASBA Conference

ASBA 2009 Banquet Several BASNCR members made the trip to the ASBA conference on October 14 – 18, in Phoenix, Arizona. The conference was based at the lovely Chaparral Suites Hotel which was the perfect setting for the meetings and workshops, as well as informal get-togethers catching up with old and new friends at the myriad courtyards with blooming flowers and gushing fountains, shaded by tall palms and moss draped trees. The exhibition, “A Natural Perspective,” at the Phoenix Art Museum was beautifully hung and full of gorgeous art (two of our members, Alice Tangerini and Karen Coleman had pieces in the show). This year we had a bonus show—the Legacy Exhibition at the Desert Botanical Garden. This collection of works by ASBA award-winning artists was truly awe-inspiring (congratulations to Alice Tangerini for being in this, too!).

The Desert Botanical Garden alone was worth the visit! Full of amazing desert plants and birds, it was a place to spend time relaxing, walking and admiring. It was also the location for many of the conference activities. And, there were an abundance of inspiring activities to choose from at the hotel, at the Desert Botanical Garden, and at historic landmarks and gardens around Phoenix. The members of the local Southwest Society of Botanical Artists were our hosts and made everyone feel welcome from their helpful presence everywhere to the beautifully embroidered tote bags that were presented to each conference participant. Many of us felt this was the best conference we’d ever attended.

Sunset at the Desert Botanical Garden Diane

BASNCR on Display at Library in Falls Church, VA

For the month of October, the display case at the entrance to the busy Tysons-Pimmitt Regional Library in Falls Church, VA will give visitors a chance to become acquainted with BASNCR, its mission and the works of many of its members.

Thanks to the initiative and hard work of Membership Coordinator Betsy Farr, the library’s main showcase now hosts a colorful and informative display tracing a brief history of botanical art and highlighting the accomplishments of a number of BASNCR’s artists. The small exhibit is full of beautiful artwork and information, a small window into the world of botanical art.

Any BASNCR members interested in doing a similar display at a local library or other venue should feel free to contact Betsy Farr or Kathy Brahney for further information and encouragement!

Tysons-Pimmitt Regional Library is located at 7584 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church, VA 22043-2099, Telephone: 703-790-8088. For directions and library hours please phone or visit the website at: http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/library/branches/ty/

Tour of Mt. Vernon’s Gardens

On a beautiful, seasonably cool, September afternoon, BASNCR members enjoyed a personal tour of the gardens of Mt. Vernon. As the group gathered in the front lawn of this historic estate, our guide talked about the history of Mt. Vernon and the love George Washington had for his home. We toured the leisure garden, which was full of gorgeous blooming native and imported plants, and then the vegetable garden, which had fruit trees, herbs and rows of bountiful vegetables. All of us were amazed at a group of okra plants that were at least 6 feet tall with the largest okra pods anyone had ever seen! We ended our tour at the “back” of the house overlooking the Potomac River with a view that thankfully has been preserved to look much as it did in Washington’s time. Many of us stayed on to tour the house and impressive Visitors’ Center. It was a wonderful afternoon spent together.



Click on each image for a larger captioned photograph of the BASNCR Tour of Mt. Vernon’s Gardens

BASNCR members enjoy a morning walk to see the annual blooming of the trilliums at the G. Thompson Wildlife Management Area.
This special area is believed to have the largest population of Large-flowered Trilliums, Trillium grandiflorum, in North America. Many other native wildflowers are in bloom as well.

BASNCR group photograph by Joe Coleman



Botanical photographs by Karen Coleman

Contact us with questions or comments

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