Design Camp, Hikes and Workshops Planned for Garvan Woodland Gardens in June

Photo Submitted

Participants of the 2015 summer Design Camp explore Garvan Woodland Gardens, posing for a photo on the Joy Manning Scott Full Moon Bridge.

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — In June, Garvan Woodland Gardens is offering several events, including hikes, a weeklong design camp, youth theater classes and art installations.

"America's Splendid Beauty," an art exhibit featuring works by Tim Gorman, will be on display from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily during June in the Magnolia Room. The exhibit includes a collection of photographs that showcase landscapes and nature from across the country. Gorman is an Arkansas native and resident of St. Francis County. He has done work in architectural, aerial and commercial photography.

"Brushwood Dance," an art installation by W. Gary Smith, is on display daily from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on the garden grounds. Smith is a nationally known landscape architect and artist who employs a collaborative design process to create site-specific art installations crafted from materials harvested from the site. Made of tree trunks and limbs, this 450-foot-long art installation piece winds along Warren's Woodland Walk, ripples along rock walls, arches over trails and undulates through the bulb meadow to its crescendo at the Three Sisters of Amity Daffodil Hill. The installation will remain on display through spring 2017 and will be incorporated into and highlighted in the garden's seasonal displays such as Holiday Lights and the Tulip Extravaganza.

For the third summer, the Fay Jones School of Architecture and Design will host Design Camp at Garvan Gardens. It will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. June 27 through July 1. Participants will have the chance to learn about the design professions through hands-on projects, tours, movies, presentations and discussions led by architecture, landscape architecture and interior design faculty of the Fay Jones School. Students will work closely with faculty and collaborate with peers in a fun and creative studio environment while exploring the design process. The camp is open to students going into ninth through 12th grades in fall 2016. Supplies and lunches will be provided. The cost is $350 for registration by May 27, and need-based scholarships are available. To register or for more information, contact Judy Stone at jkstone@uark.edu or 479-575-2399, or visit the Fay Jones School website.

Rush Fentress will lead "Plant ID Hikes" from 8-9:30 a.m. on Thursdays. These hikes are for Garvan Gardens members only, and participants will meet in the Welcome Center beforehand. Each hike will wind through the Evans Children's Adventure Garden followed by the Hixson Nature Preserve. Fentress, the garden's director of education, will help participants identify the plants on the trail.

"Tai Chi Series: "Strength in Motion" will take place from 2-3 p.m. every Thursday through June 16 at the Great Lawn. Employees from the Oaklawn Center on Aging will host this workshop that teaches the low-impact practice of Tai Chi, which can increase flexibility, balance and strength. Participants are advised to wear loose, comfortable clothing and shoes.

"Health Walks" will occur from 9-10 a.m. every Monday, and participants will meet beforehand in the Welcome Center. Sharon Turrentine will lead the three-mile hike, with the route changing each Monday. Participants should wear comfortable, weather-appropriate clothing and sturdy walking shoes.

Lanie Carson will teach classes in the "Youth Theater Series" on June 4 at 10 a.m. and 11 a.m. in the Magnolia Room. The 10 a.m. session, "Starstuff Story Time," will be offered to children ages 5-8. The class will first read through the story. The children will then select a character to play, and the class will act out the story using costumes and props. The 11 a.m. session, "Starstuff Reader's Theater," will be offered to children, ages 9-12. The children will read through a chapter or scene from a novel or play, decide which character they want to portray, and then act out the selection using costumes and props. This series will be offered again in July and August.

The "Garvan Rocks!" classes with Sissy Hubbard will be held from 9-11 a.m. and from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. June 14 in the Magnolia Room and areas within the garden. Hubbard will first teach people how to draw on stones. The students will then hide their stones in the garden and have a treasure hunt to find the hidden stones. These classes will be offered again in July and August

The "Herbs for Summer" workshop with Cynthia Faulk will be held from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. June 18 in the Magnolia Room. Faulk will teach about the different uses for summertime herbs, from cultivating to cooking to medicinal uses. Participants will prepare an herbal oil for infusion, and create their own unique blends for use at home

Garvan Woodland Gardens is the botanical garden of the University of Arkansas and part of the Fay Jones School of Architecture and Design.

Garvan Gardens is open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily. Admission is $15 for adults, $5 for children ages 6-12 and free for children ages 5 and younger. Some events and activities are free. Some require a fee, advanced registration or prepayment.

For more information about these events or to check on upcoming events, call 501-262-9300 or 800-366-4664.