Students Graduate from Certificate Program

November 1, 2006: You don’t have to be a professional to know that there is art in nature. “Illustrated Points of View,” an exhibit on display at the North Carolina Botanical Garden’s Totten Center, November 1 through December 28, displays the work of graduates of the Botanical Garden’s educational certificate program in Botanical Illustration.

Framed portraits of everything from asparagus to hibiscus line the walls of the Totten Center classroom. Five botanical illustrators’ work is represented.

“This show is the culmination of work done for the Botanical Illustration certificate and is a requirement for graduation,” says Karen Wiley-Eberle who is in charge of the Garden’s two certificate programs. “There are illustrations from each art class taken toward the certificate, including graphite, pen and ink, colored pencil, watercolor.”

A reception and graduation ceremony will be held at the Totten Center on Sunday, November 19, from 2 to 4 pm. One student who has just completed the course of study for the Native Plant Studies Certificate will graduate at this time as well.

The show represents the portfolios of work done over the 2 or 3 years it took each student to complete the certificate program. The Botanical Garden started the Botanical Illustration certificate program in 2001.

Liz Lutz was in the program from nearly its beginning. “The progress that we have all made is simply amazing. We have learned techniques here that we would not have been able to learn in other art classes in this area. I feel certain, too, that the discipline we’ve acquired will be applicable to other art forms.”