Selby Gardens Announces 43rd Annual Juried Photo Exhibition

June 9, 2023—Sarasota

Call for submissions to be open Aug. 7–14, with virtual gallery on view Aug. 29–Sept. 30

Marie Selby Botanical Gardens will present its 43rd Annual Juried Photographic Exhibition from August 29 through September 30.

This year’s exhibition will again be conducted virtually, with digital photos entered through an online portal and all accepted submissions displayed in an online gallery for the duration of the show. The open call for submissions will run from August 7 through 14.

“Our Annual Juried Photo Exhibition is a long-running celebration of our bayfront sanctuaries and the joy and inspiration they provide to visitors,” said Jennifer O. Rominiecki, president and CEO of Selby Gardens. “We love seeing the beautiful scenes and wonderful details of our Downtown Sarasota and Historic Spanish Point campuses through the artistic eyes of our members and other guests. The photos they submit never cease to surprise and delight us.”

Photographs that are entered for consideration for the show must have been taken at or of either Selby Gardens campus—Downtown Sarasota or Historic Spanish Point—within the past year. The five entry categories for 2023 will be:

·      Living Art – Express your creativity and artfully interpret nature through the play of light, color, and composition.

·      Make a Splash – Showcase the scenic beauty of the aquatic environments at Selby Gardens’ two bayfront campuses.

·      Plant Portraits – Capture the character of the plants that are the real stars of the show at Selby Gardens.

·      The Birds and the Bees – Highlight the wonderful wildlife at the Downtown Sarasota and Historic Spanish Point campuses.

·      Black and White – Convey the beauty of nature at Selby Gardens through the elegance of black-and-white photography.

“We encourage our visitors to start looking through their photos now, or to plan a visit this summer to capture new ones, so that they can participate in this show,” said Rominiecki. “With so much color blooming in the Gardens, it’s a great time to make some stunning photos.”

Complete rules and requirements will be available later this summer on the photo submission portal, which will be accessible via selby.org. Entry fees will remain unchanged from 2022: Selby Gardens members – $30 for first entry, $10 for each additional (up to three entries total); non-Members – $45 for first entry, $15 for each additional (up to three entries total). Selby Gardens’ 2023 Juried Photographic Exhibition is presented in partnership with Observer Media Group.

Last year’s photo exhibition garnered nearly 300 entries. “Best in Show” was awarded to Patricia Nebel for her black-and-white image titled The Bishop.

About Marie Selby Botanical Gardens

Marie Selby Botanical Gardens provides 45 acres of bayfront sanctuaries connecting people with air plants of the world, native nature, and our regional history. Established by forward-thinking women of their time, Selby Gardens is composed of the 15-acre Downtown Sarasota campus and the 30-acre Historic Spanish Point campus in the Osprey area of Sarasota County, Florida. The Downtown Sarasota campus on Sarasota Bay is the only botanical garden in the world dedicated to the display and study of epiphytic orchids, bromeliads, gesneriads and ferns, and other tropical plants. There is a significant focus on botany, horticulture, education, historical preservation, and the environment. The Historic Spanish Point campus is located less than 10 miles south along Little Sarasota Bay. One of the largest preserves showcasing native Florida plants and active archaeology that is interpreted for and open to the public, it celebrates an archaeological record that encompasses approximately 5,000 years of Florida history. Marie Selby Botanical Gardens is a Smithsonian Affiliate and is also accredited by the American Alliance of Museums. For more information visit www.selby.org.