Botanical Art Worldwide II is coming in 2025
It's now official, the Botanical Art Worldwide II ( BAWW ), with the American Society of Botanical Art as lead coordinator, is happening again. Last staged in May 2018 this major botanical art event involved 27 countries around the world simultaneously exhibiting some of the best botanical art from some of the world's most talented botanical artists.
To take you back four years, May 2018, each of the participating countries put forward a juried selection of 40 illustrations of endemic, native species that were exhibited in a local gallery. At the same time the complete collection of over 800 works was projected as a virtual gallery at each venue allowing visitors direct engagement with this unique global event.
For 2025 the chosen theme is: Heritage Crops. This is not just the traditional botanical art subjects that come readily to mind like apples or some other fruit, but an expansive list of plants that have been used by humans over the millennia. Think fruits, grains, clothing, ropes, building. This will be your chance to produce a piece of work that will become part of a global exhibition.
Although BAWW II - 2025 it is still in the very early stages of planning there are a few points that may wet your appetite and stimulate some thoughts about a subject for submission.
There will be an official website for BAWW II which is still in its early stages of development.
THE EXHIBITION
Will be open to ANY botanical artist, you do not need to be a member of any society or botanical art group.
Artist can submit work to the country they normally reside but only if that county is participating in BAWW II. A list of participating countries will be published as soon as they have agreed to manage their local exhibition.
If your country is NOT participating in its own right you may be able submit work to the nearest participating country. More details to follow.
Artwork submissions will be juried and forty pieces will be selected for a physical exhibition in that country in a venue to be decided.
Artwork will have to meet the published criteria (with some country specific details) to be eligible for the final judging stage. The full criteria will be published when finalised.
Each countries selected artwork will also be added to one virtual online gallery that will be displayed in each exhibition space.
THE CRITERIA
The BAWW II - 2025 exhibition will focus on and celebrate, biodiversity in the crops that have been closely associated with the human species over thousands of years. The theme is designed to draw attention to the vast variety of food and useful plants available in contrast with the relatively few varieties currently used in mass cultivation. Plants eligible for inclusion are those cultivated for food, textiles, building, energy and medicine.
Currently, many heritage species and varieties are only cultivated in small quantities by specialist growers on a small scale. It is vital to promote this genetic diversity in a world challenged by a growing population and a changing climate.
Possible subjects include heritage plant cultivars developed by traditional means (selection, hybridization, and propagation) and their wild relatives as well as ancient heritage crops being brought back into cultivation. Plants eligible for inclusion are those cultivated for food, textiles, building, energy, and medicine.
Subjects include:
HERITAGE CROPS
Crops that are not used in modern, large scale monocultures. Crops chosen should have been in cultivation for a minimum of 50 years.
CROP WILD RELATIVES
Wild species that can be hybridized with cultivated crops to impart a new characteristic to the cultivated crop, or that are foraged wild plants.
ANCIENT CROPS
Those that have been cultivated for hundreds or thousands of years in the same form.
Extended Definition of Eligible Subjects:
HERITAGE / HEIRLOOM CROPS
Anything grown for food on your table, from rice, corn, wheat, quinoa and lemongrass, to potatoes, tomatoes, peppers, squash and eggplants, to beverages like tea and coffee and spices like saffron, vanilla, allspice.
Heritage crops cultivated for energy, clothing, shelter, and medicine are also eligible. This includes early progenitors of utilitarian species, such as cotton, flax, linseed.
CROP WILD RELATIVES
Wild plants that are related to important food and utilitarian crops and can be used in hybridization to increase resistance to disease or impart another important characteristic. A few examples are: wild grapes, coffee species, wild millet, wild potato or tomato species, sunflowers, bananas, wild rice.
Wild edible foods that are foraged. For example, plums, finger lime, coconut, wild berries, and lilly pilly fruit.
ANCIENT CROPS
Crops that have been cultivated for hundreds or thousands of years. For example, some varieties of sorghum, farro wheat, barleys, cowpea, and nuts.
This category also includes foods cultivated, gathered, and selected by indigenous people around the world: taro, maize, amaranth, pumpkin and many others.
The "British" section of the BAWW II will involve England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Scotland will be managing and staging their own exhibition as was the case in 2018.
As more details become available we will keep you informed but in the meantime, add May 2025 to your botanical art calendar.
If you missed the British BAWW I you can catch the event again in the ABA online gallery
The Association of Botanical Artist will be playing a key role for the 2025 exhibition but more news of this role will be announced in the next few weeks.
Now we have announced this exciting new project for you we would like to get some idea of your interest. If you think you might like to submit some work for BAWW II- 2025 then please complete the following form.
We are really looking forward to this unique opportunity and will keep you informed as more details become available.
The Association of Botanical Artists - October 2022