Daphne’s Wardrobe—Metamorphosis into Nature
March 1–June 1, 2025
Melissa Meier, Moss, 2023 (detail). Courtesy of the artist.
Vera Lehndorff/Holger Trülzsch, Forest-Piece at Schnaitsee. Performance I, 1972 (detail). Courtesy of the artists.
Click here to see the exhibition catalogue.
Descanso Gardens presents Daphne’s Wardrobe—Metamorphosis into Nature, an interdisciplinary exhibition of artworks by women who explore body transformations into nature.
Daphne’s Wardrobe draws on mythologic and folklore narratives to examine themes of metamorphosis, revealing humanity’s deep connection to the natural world.
Curated by Carole Ann Klonarides, the exhibition features wearable garments, photography, sculpture, painting, and works on paper.
The “Daphne” of the title is the mythic nymph who was changed through metamorphosis into a laurel tree to escape Apollo’s advances. Her soft skin turned into bark, her hair grew into foliage, her arms into branches, and her feet into roots, making her earthbound.
Daphne’s Wardrobe will include the work of internationally-known artists Valerie Hammond, Adelle Lutz, Elana Herzog, Melissa Meier, Wangechi Mutu, Vibeke Sorensen, Alison Saar, Rina Banerjee, Phyllis Green, iris yirei hu, and Vera Lehndorff/Holger Trülzsch, who challenge us to rethink our deep connection to nature while also referencing the complex cultural histories—both constructive and destructive—that have shaped this relationship.
The Sturt Haaga Gallery and its programs are generously funded, in part, by Perenchio Foundation, Pasadena Art Alliance, and an endowment from Heather Sturt Haaga and Paul G. Haaga, Jr.
Daphne’s Wardrobe—Metamorphosis into Nature is open at the Sturt Haaga Gallery and Boddy House from March 1–June 1, 2025, 10am–4pm daily. Entry to the Gallery and Boddy House is included in the price of admission or membership.
Top photo: Melissa Meier, Moss, 2023 (detail). Courtesy of the artist.
Check out the exhibition catalogue
Click here.
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Roots of Cool: A Celebration of Trees and Shade in a Warming World
July 12–October 12, 2025
Kim Abeles, Signs of Life Diptych, 2006. Courtesy of the artist.
Robin Lasser, Postcards to a Cooler Future (1), 2025. Courtesy of the artist.
Roots of Cool: A Celebration of Trees and Shade in a Warming World invites visitors to connect to and cultivate appreciation for the life-giving role trees play in making urban neighborhoods livable.
In a warming world, shade and the cooling benefits of trees are essential, but not every community has the same access.
Outdoor installations throughout the gardens invite visitors to experience and contemplate the possibilities — from a series of imaginative bus stops exploring access to urban shade, to suspended repurposed tree umbrellas that serve as a metaphor for the vital cooling functions of trees, to a forest of wayfinding love letters in a time of climate change.
An accompanying group art exhibition at the Sturt Haaga Gallery and Boddy House explores the past, present, and future role of trees and shade in the city, with visual and musical works to inspire us to consider what kind of future we collectively envision.
Featuring all women artists, Roots of Cool is curated by Edith and Jolly de Guzman. Exhibiting artists include Robin Lasser, Leslie K. Gray, Chantée Benefield, Kim Abeles, Victoria Arriola, Pascaline Doucin-Dahlke, Cidne Hart, Diana Kohne, Lisa Tomczeszyn, Lois Keller, Sarita Zaleha, Shoshana Ben-Horin, Valerie Daval, and Yarnbombing LA.
This exhibition and its programs were curated in partnership with UCLA Luskin Center for Innovation, University of California Division of Agriculture & Natural Resources, Los Angeles Center for Urban Natural Resources Sustainability, TreePeople, USDA Forest Service, Arroyo Arts Collective, The Nature of Cities, Avenue 50 Studio, USC Public Exchange, Dashboard.Earth, and Accelerate Resilience Los Angeles.
This exhibition and its programs are generously funded, in part, by Perenchio Foundation, Accelerate Resilience LA, a sponsored project of Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors, and an endowment from Heather Sturt Haaga and Paul G. Haaga, Jr.
Roots of Cool: A Celebration of Trees and Shade in a Warming World is open at the Sturt Haaga Gallery and Boddy House from July 12–October 12, 2025, 10am–4pm daily. Entry to the Gallery and Boddy House is included in the price of admission or membership.
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