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    • A book next to a photo of a wildfire

    ‘Asunder’ and the California Wildfires

    The devastating wildfires in California over the past several years have left the landscape starkly and in many cases permanently changed. Billie Mandle, Photography professor at Massachusetts College of Art and Design, and Karen Haas, Curator of Photography at the MFA, come together to talk about Billie’s new photography book ‘Asunder,’ made up of stark and haunting photos of the aftermath of the 2020 Glass Fire in Northern California. They will be joined by Director of the Harvard Forest Jonathan Thompson who will share his research on how the wildfires have changed the very makeup of California forests, from mature trees to landscapes dominated by chaparral.

    Hunnewell Lecture Hall
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      • Two young women, one holding a violin, and magnolia flowers

      Magnolias in Bloom: Music Inspired by Nature

      Gather at the magnolias for a one-of-a-kind concert celebrating this beautiful collection in peak bloom. Chloe DeSteno and Ariana Mascari, graduate students at the New England Conservatory, have assembled a collection of musical pieces about the magnolias, their cultural and historical impact, as well as plants and the Arboretum more broadly–including one original piece composed for the Arboretum’s magnolia collection itself. The concert will feature a small orchestra playing genres from Renaissance to jazz, all rooted in classical music.

      Hunnewell Lawn
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        A Taiko drummer, cherry blossoms, and Japanese calligraphy

        Cherry Blossom Celebration

        Come celebrate Japanese culture amongst the Arboretum’s beautiful cherry blossoms with taiko drumming, traditional Japanese dance, Japanese games and calligraphy, family activities, and the inside scoop on the Arboretum’s own cherry collection.

        Bradley Rosaceous Collection
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          A sketch of a fiddlehead fern

          Patterns in Plants: Spirals, Branching, and More

          Discover the patterns that shape the plant world in this hands-on art program, from spirals that follow the fibonacci sequence to branching that creates infinite fractals. After a brief crash course on the math and science behind these patterns with instructor Rachel Mirus, you will move into creative, art-based activities to explore these patterns further and start creating some of your own.

          in front of the Hunnewell Building
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            Two young women, one with a violin, and a photo of cherry blossoms

            Cherry Blossoms in Bloom: Music Inspired by Nature

            Gather at the cherry blossoms for a one-of-a-kind concert celebrating this beautiful collection in peak bloom. Chloe DeSteno and Ariana Mascari, graduate students at the New England Conservatory, have assembled a collection of musical pieces about the cherries, their cultural and historical impact, as well as plants and the Arboretum more broadly–including one original piece composed for the Arboretum’s cherry collection itself. The concert will feature a small orchestra playing genres from Renaissance to jazz, all rooted in classical music.

            Bradley Rosaceous Collection
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              • Two young women, one with a violin, and pink crabapple flowers

              Rescheduled Crabapples in Bloom: Music Inspired by Nature

              *Rescheduled to May 3 due to rain* Gather at Peters Hill Summit for a one-of-a-kind concert celebrating the beautiful crabapple collection in peak bloom. Chloe DeSteno and Ariana Mascari, graduate students at the New England Conservatory, have assembled a collection of musical pieces about the crabapples and Peters Hill, as well as plants and the Arboretum more broadly–including one original piece composed specifically for this part of the Arboretum. The concert will feature a small orchestra playing genres from Renaissance to jazz, all rooted in classical music.

              Peters Hill Summit
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              • Rescheduled

              • A cyanotype print of a maple leaf and stem on blue paper, with white silhouettes of the leaf and smaller leaves standing out against the vibrant blue background. The artwork lies on a textured gray surface.

              Make Your Own Cyanotypes: A Drop-In Program

              Stop by the Hunnewell Lawn while supplies last to create beautiful nature-based cyanotype prints. Participants will arrange flowers, leaves, and seeds and expose them in sunlight to create a deep blue print with bright, ghost-white silhouettes.

              Hunnewell Lawn
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                • A young woman sits outdoors in a lush garden, writing notes in a book filled with colorful sticky notes. She appears focused and is surrounded by greenery and sunlight.

                Sketch Your Way to Tree ID

                Use the power of art to hone your tree ID skills in this interactive class. The group will walk through the landscape, learning to identify common trees and shrubs and sketching out key identification characteristics. By the end of the program, participants will have a packet of identification tips and drawings for various plants, and a deeper understanding of the characteristics that make each tree species unique. No prior art skills necessary—this class focuses on seeing shapes, patterns, and details that make each species identifiable. Join us for a creative and hands-on approach to tree identification!

                in front of the Hunnewell Building
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                  Fabric and flowers in a yellow dye pot

                  Rescheduled Plant-Based Fabric Dyeing: A Drop-In Event

                  *Rescheduled to August 30 due to rain* Many of the plants grown at the Arboretum have been used as natural dyes for centuries: goldenrod for yellow, stinging nettle for green, madder or bloodroot for pink. Join fiber artist Maggie Ruth Haaland on the Hunnewell Lawn to learn about some of these natural dyeing methods and get a chance to try some of your own.

                  Hunnewell Lawn
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                  • Rescheduled

                  • A sketch of a multi-trunked tree

                  Sketching Trees with Erica Beade

                  Explore the amazing variety and beauty of trees at the Arnold Arboretum with pencil and paper. Taught by artist and educator Erica Beade, this walking program will focus on capturing the shapes and volume of trunks and branches as well as techniques for drawing foliage. All skill levels are welcome.

                  in front of the Hunnewell Building
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                    • A wooden bowl with a natural, uneven edge featuring dark, rough bark. The smooth, light-colored wood contrasts with the jagged, textured rim. The bowl rests on a neutral gray background.

                    The Art of the Woodturner

                    Woodturning is the art or process of fashioning wood into various forms and shapes by means of a lathe. Returning to the Arnold Arboretum for the 11th year, The Art of the Woodturner will again offer visitors the chance to see an amazing variety of woodturned pieces: large and small, functional and sculptural.

                    Hunnewell Lecture Hall
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                      A wooden bowl with a natural, uneven edge featuring dark, rough bark. The smooth, light-colored wood contrasts with the jagged, textured rim. The bowl rests on a neutral gray background.

                      The Art of the Woodturner

                      Woodturning is the art or process of fashioning wood into various forms and shapes by means of a lathe. Returning to the Arnold Arboretum for the 11th year, The Art of the Woodturner will again offer visitors the chance to see an amazing variety of woodturned pieces: large and small, functional and sculptural.

                      Hunnewell Lecture Hall
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                        • Four people stand in a garden holding percussion instruments

                        Rhythms in the Garden with the Iris Percussion Quartet

                        Join the Iris Percussion Quartet, based out of the Boston Conservatory at Berklee, for a performance focused on fallen leaves and the Arboretum’s Leventritt Shrub and Vine Garden. Working with small percussive instruments and found objects, Iris will bring together a unique program that celebrates the Leventritt in the peak of fall–including some brand new pieces composed specifically for this concert.

                        Leventritt Shrub & Vine Garden
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