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Exhibitions
Since 2023 SUBG has been holding an annual Botanical Art and Photography Exhibition at the Duthie Garden Gallery. The exhibition encourages professional botanical artists to work with our most important plant collections. The Duthie Garden Gallery exhibitions connect visitors to the phenomenal diversity and exceptional local endemism of the Cape, expose them to plants from the wider South African context, and capture and celebrate the fleeting beauty of select endangered species in our care. We believe that botanical illustration and art is a crucial part of communicating the wonder and value of plants, and is a powerful medium to communicate the fragile state of many natural habitats and the plants they are home to. Nearly a quarter of Western Cape flora is considered either threatened with extinction or of conservation concern. We believe botanical artists are among the most knowledgeable and passionate about plants, and in their role as citizen scientists they transform our attitudes and understanding.
Upcoming Exhibitions
James and Shirley Sherwood Botanical Art Collection
9 May – 20 September 2026
This world-class art collection will be housed in the historically significant Garden Office and will showcase artworks of many top South African botanical artists, as well as promising early-career artists. The collection will capture the beauty of South African plants, with a focus on the SUBG's living collection of rare and threatened plants. The project will strengthen South African botanical art capacity, connect garden visitors to the Cape's phenomenal plant diversity, and inspire people to get involved in plant conservation.
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The current collection at SUBG was started and is being curated by in 2023 by Karen Stewart, a specialist botanical art curator, and Dr Donovan Kirkwood, the late curator of SUBG. They recognised the value of botanical art to communicate the often-fleeting beauty of plants, to inspire people to connect with nature, and in doing so to raise awareness of the conservation needs of many plants. Since 2023, SUBG has hosted an annual Botanical Art and Photography exhibition, and this project led to the establishment of this permanent botanical art collection. It will include paintings by some of South Africa’s top and early-career botanical artists, each work tied to the garden’s conservation collections. The gallery will be named the Kirkwood Garden Gallery after Dr Donovan Kirkwood whose passion for botanical art inspired him to create a unique space to showcase these valuable artworks within the SUBG.
SUBG is home to over 200 collections of species at threat of extinction. Many of these are inaccessible to most in their natural habitat, and can only be seen when visiting this garden. Yet, many plants in these special collections are dormant in summer, and will look drab or may even completely disappear underground for several months. The artworks in the James & Shirley Sherwood Botanical Art Collection will create a powerful reminder of the seasonal beauty of these plants and inspire visitors to appreciate nature through all seasons. Many species in the SUBG collections have never been illustrated before and many are extremely threatened, or only now being formally described.
A unique opportunity for botanical artists
An important component of this project is to support botanical artists and to raise the profile of South African botanical art. Artists contributing to this project will gain special access to rare living plants to paint, something that can often be a challenge for botanical artists. Contributing artists will receive support from SUBG experts and academic partners to strengthen their knowledge of their subject matter, and reignite an understanding and appreciation for scientifically accurate botanical works. Early-career botanical artists will receive special support through a mentoring programme by some of the most experienced South African botanical artists.
This opportunity enables the establishment of the only formal scientific institutional home for botanical art in South Africa. Through the James & Shirley Sherwood Botanical Art Collection, SUBG aims to raise the profile of botanical art by generating awareness and interest in the purchase of investment pieces by established artists.
We hope the Stellenbosch University Botanical Garden and the James & Shirley Sherwood Botanical Art Collection can continue to provide inspiration, learning and growth for botanical artists and the garden visitors alike.
Donation opportunity
Patrons of the arts and companies are offered a unique opportunity to be associated with a prestigious, high-profile project that aims to document the precious flora of the Cape and South Africa. The artworks will be permanently housed, cared for and curated by a specialist team at Stellenbosch University Botanical Garden. This collection will highlight the urgent need for the world-class leading conservation work the Botanical Garden does, and enhance the visitor experience substantially.
About the team
This special collaborative project is the initiative of Karen Stewart M.Phil (specialising in Botanical Illustration) and chair of the Botanical Artists’ Association of southern Africa’s Cape branch, Dr Donovan Kirkwood (PhD Botany Ecology) late curator of the Stellenbosch University Botanical Garden, Annerie Senekal (acting curator of SUBG), Martine Robinson B (Arch) a well-respected South African botanical artist focusing on rare and threatened geophytes, and academic partner Prof Léanne Dreyer, expert in the mega-diverse Cape Oxalis. Vicki Thomas and Chris Lochner form part of our selection panel.
Information for artists
Funders can request a detailed proposal and budget projection information from: Annerie Senekal [email protected]
Artists who wish to apply to become involved in the project can email the art curator: Karen Stewart [email protected]
Past Exhibitions
Brendel Botanical Model Exhibition (13 February – 8 March 2026)
A fascinating exhibition of rare 19th century botanical teaching models, bringing science and history together to reveal the inner workings of plants. These artistically composed models use a variety of ingeniously assembled materials, each a mini sculpture in its own right.
Student and Novice Art Exhibition (14 March – 17 April 2026)
In SUBG’s first Student and Novice Art Exhibition