November 20-January 2, Public hours
Check out the Winter Fun Times with information on all of the Conservatory Events and programs or Register NOW for more fun! Remember, the Conservatory is open Thursday nights until 8:00 p.m. for your viewing pleasure. All events and exhibitions are regularly priced admission unless otherwise noted.
"Alpine Holiday" Showcase Exhibit
Night of Lights at the Conservatory
Santa & Reindeer Saturdays
"Under the Big Top" Winter Showcase Exhibit
Winterval at the Conservatory
Sweetheart Orchid Display
2021/2022 Conservatory Art Displays
Art Displays
Enjoy stunning works of art by local and regional artists in the Jaenicke Room that is open to view during public hours at the Botanical Conservatory. Regular admission fees apply to each exhibit and public reception. Submit your own artwork for consideration by e-mailing This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Daniel John Dombek: Natural Photography
August-November, Public hours
Public Reception: August 15, 1-3 p.m.
As a child, Artist Daniel John Dombek developed his love for nature and especially for wildflowers. His artwork on display at the Botanical Conser- vatory features sixteen of his favorite wildflower photographs. In his own words, “I have always loved flowers. Growing up in Winona Lake, Indiana, offered plenty of opportunities to explore the surrounding woods and lakes, and with photography, I am able to enlarge these little blossoms and their delicate brilliance.” Daniel currently lives in Fort Wayne. As an Indiana Master Naturalist, he spends much of his free time photographing the area’s woodlands and wetlands.
Gregg Coffey: Life in the Brush
January-March
Public Reception: January 16, 1:00-3:00 p.m.
Art serves many purposes. It can be decorative, calming to those suffering and even bringing sensual pleasure through color and form. Art may be challenging the status quo, playing devil’s advocate or causing someone to think. Some art is so sublime that it incites a sense of wonderment while prompting a mini samadhi or moment of enlightenment. Art can be a crafted skill or link to the collective unconscious. When a student of classical Chinese painting, the rules for Gregg Coffey were simple, as in “follow rules of the natural world.” Just as they produce beauty, divine symmetry and preternatural light, the same rules produce entropy and decay. Art may also act as propaganda, political rhetoric or a call to action. It could be commercial treacle, couch art or matching trendy colors. It may even be a ceramic urinal or miles long running fence, and in some cases, the artist’s art is to choose not to. Or simply, art is a calling. It is a voice calling from the wilderness that requires work and diligence from the beholder.
