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Visions of Nature 2009: BBG Student/Teacher
Art Exhibition
Saturday, February 7–Sunday, March 1
Reception: Sunday, February 15 | 2 p.m.
Experience Brooklyn Botanic Garden through the eyes of our artists. This annual exhibition showcases the finest work of adult learners and instructors in the BBG art program. These works display the range of media used in classes at the Garden, including watercolor, pen and ink, photography, woodprint, and more.
Click on a thumbnail to view the enlarged image.
This exhibition is dedicated to the memory of Dan Gibbons, artist, teacher, and friend.
(Photo by Karen Bell)
Daniel Gibbons, a talented artist who taught at Brooklyn Botanic Garden for almost 15 years, passed away on January 2, 2009, at the age of 65. A Boston native, he studied at the Massachusetts College of Art as well as at the Villa Schifanoia in Florence, Italy. Dan began his career as a sculptor, creating massive installations, but in the 1970s he embraced the medium of watercolor, for which his work is best known. He exhibited his watercolors in several galleries in New York and the Virgin Islands and was included in the corporate collections of General Electric, Pepsico, and Cigna Worldwide. He also created a series of posters for the Greensward Foundation. Dan received first prize at the BBG fence art show in 1993, and in 1996 the Garden hosted an exhibition of his large-scale watercolors.
To many, Dan will be best remembered as a teacher. He taught art courses at BBG from 1994 through this past winter and was a familiar figure at the Garden, where he could often be found surrounded by attentive students. Dan also at various times served on the faculty of the University of Kentucky, Pace University, and Parsons School of Design. In addition, he taught in NYC public schools, where he designed sets for many class productions and served as a mentor to emerging artists.
In the November 2003 issue of the BBG Volunteer Newsletter, Lynn Newmark quoted Dan's philosophy: "I want to guide people to their better selves... I believe in contributing to what you love, by sharing your experience... it's important to put back what you take out." Dan will be fondly remembered for his friendly smile, his warm personality, his gentle encouragement, and the inspiration he gave to thousands of people, both in his work and in his classes.
—Jack Kaplan, BBG volunteer