“What’s so funny ’bout peace, love, and understanding?” So sang Elvis Costello in 1978, seeking to keep Sixties ideas and aesthetics relevant, not a punchline. Those ideals might feel further away than ever these days (unless you’re in the middle of a No Kings march), but you can get a boost, or at least a refresher, at “Flower Power,” the new exhibit/installation/celebration at the New York Botanical Garden, in the Bronx.
Channeling the spirit of environmentalism along with peace signs and ’60 tunes — VW buses and a school bus colorfully painted by NY-based artists Snoeman, Blanka Amezkua, and Carlos Wilfredo Encarnación-Vazquez are fitted with speakers playing songs guaranteed to provoke singing along — the art and botanical exhibits of “Flower Power” focus on “the ways in which hippie culture advanced closer relationships with the natural world.” Check out psychedelic flower and art installations inside and outside the Haupt Conservatory, hand-painted fabric canopies by Mushuman on the Conservatory Lawn, an “art fence” that invites viewer participation, and the Mertz Library Gallery’s gathering of paintings, photographs, screenprints, and collages by luminaries from the ’60s and ’70s, among them Andy Warhol, Joe Brainard, Corita Kent, and Milton Glaser. (An in-depth look at that exhibit will appear on the Voice homepage in coming weeks.)
Various interactive events will be happening over the course of the show, including drum circles, ’60s-era sing-alongs, craft workshops, and meditation experiences, as well as after-hour Liquid Light Shows, with live music (including Ghost Funk Orchestra and Habibi) and visuals by Liquid Light Lab. Running alongside “Flower Power” is the “Summer of Moomin” installation (May 23–September 13) in the Everett Children’s Adventure Garden, a takeover of the garden by Moomin characters from Finnish artist and author Tove Jansson’s excellent comics series.
In the spirit of free-spirited democracy, admission prices for grounds passes are slashed for NYC residents on Tuesdays and on Thursdays through Sundays, with proof of residency. On Wednesdays, grounds access is free for NYC residents all day and to all other visitors entering between 10 and 11 a.m.; these passes are always free for Bronx residents. You won’t get the indoor exhibits, but the music, flowers, children’s garden, and long walks around the NYBG’s 250 acres are yours. On a hot summer day, the Thain Family Forest — uncut original woods with a waterfall — is a cool experience in every sense. You have till mid-October to get your infusion of Mother Nature’s flower power. ❖