This Saturday February 15th, the annual New York Botanical Garden Orchid Show will open to the public for its 18th year in a stunning new iteration: Jeff Leatham’s Kaleidoscope. Through April 19th, thousands of orchids will be on display in the historic Enid A. Haupt Conservatory in designs by celebrity designer Jeff Leatham, who serves as the artistic director of the Four Seasons Hotel George V, Paris and was knighted by France with the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres for his artistic contribution to French culture.
This year’s installation is far more than just flowers however — you’ll find a tunnel with a kaleidoscope of lights and a 10-foot tall mirrored orchid sculpture with a fountain of water that leads into a black pool. Each gallery and space in the exhibition has its own color scheme, “like the turn of a kaleidoscope,” says the Botanical Garden, and expect flowers in bright, stunning colors like hot pink, reds and oranges, in addition to the classic purple.
Photo courtesy New York Botanical Garden
The design effort was a global one, with Leathem working with horticulturists from the New York Botanical Garden, including Senior Curator of Orchids Marc Hachadourian, to source orchids from the collections of the Garden and from the notable growers around the world.
Photo courtesy New York Botanical Garden
Photo courtesy New York Botanical Garden
“Color is the first and most important aspect of my work, always,” Jeff Leatham stated about Kaleidoscope, “I want every gallery to be a different color experience for visitors as they move through them, like looking into a kaleidoscope. I loved kaleidoscopes as a child. You start dreaming as you look through one. People have seen the interiors of the Conservatory already, but with this exhibition, I want them to look through them like never before.”
Photo courtesy New York Botanical Garden
The New York Botanical Garden will be hosting events in connection with the orchid show, including “Orchid Evenings,” a night party with music and fashion performances, a talk with Jeff Leatham, and more. Leatham is also the bestselling author of the book, Jeff Leatham: Visionary Floral Art and Design.
Michelle is the founder of Untapped New York and the author of The Art Spy (HarperOne, forthcoming) Secret Brooklyn, Secret New York Hidden Bars & Restaurants, and Broadway. michelleyoungwriter.com
