Marie Selby Botanical Gardens has launched a new Institute for Nature and the Arts, bringing its artist residencies, exhibitions and public lecture series together under one initiative spanning its Sarasota and Osprey campuses.

The gardens announced the institute Monday, Oct. 12. David Berry, vice president for visitor experience, will serve as its director.

Berry will also participate in the gardens' Fall Lunch in the Gardens on Thursday, Oct. 29, offering guests an opportunity to hear from one of the leaders behind the organization's arts programming.

Oct. 29 luncheon features artist discussion

The Fall Lunch in the Gardens is scheduled for 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 29, at Selby Gardens' downtown Sarasota campus.

The event will feature a conversation between artist Christian Sampson and Berry, according to SRQ Daily.

Proceeds will support Selby Gardens' community outreach, scientific research and horticulture programs.

The luncheon comes as the organization expands its efforts to connect artistic expression with botanical research and education.

Institute brings art and science programs together

President and CEO Jennifer Rominiecki conceived the Institute for Nature and the Arts as an extension of the gardens' Living Museum operating model.

The model features rotating exhibitions that combine art and horticulture, encouraging visitors to explore plants and the natural world through artistic displays.

According to Selby Gardens, membership has increased 278% and earned revenue has grown 157% since Rominiecki introduced the model about a decade ago.

The new institute will coordinate living artist collaborations, artist residencies and exhibitions at both the downtown Sarasota campus on Sarasota Bay and the Historic Spanish Point campus in Osprey.

It will also oversee public lectures exploring science and art and manage commercial publications highlighting the gardens' living plant collections, preserved specimens and library resources.

"The Institute for Nature and the Arts will create new opportunities for artists, scientists, and educators to collaborate and explore the natural world from different perspectives," Berry said in the announcement.

The institute also aims to encourage new collaborations among artists, scientists and educators, using creative projects to make botanical research more accessible to the public.

Rominiecki said the initiative will build on the organization's existing programs while creating additional opportunities to explore the relationship between nature and art.

Selby Gardens operates two campuses totaling 45 acres, including its 15-acre downtown Sarasota property and the 30-acre Historic Spanish Point site.

Additional information about the institute is available at selby.org.