Lunch and Learn
Botanical Illustration: Then and Now
November 9, 2022
12 p.m.–1 p.m.
Sullivan Museum and History Center Conference Room

On November 9, 2022, Alice Tangerini, staff illustrator in the Botany Department at the National Museum of Natural History, will be presenting a talk on the history of botanical illustration, collecting plants for herbaria, and the changes in artistic techniques up to current digital drawing. In addition to discussing the importance of the history of botanical illustrations at the National Museum of Natural History, she will share a selection of samples of botanical artwork.

Beginning in 1972, Alice has illustrated over 1000 plant species in pen and ink, graphite, and more recently in digital media, for publications including botanical books and journals. She uses mainly herbarium specimens as the resource material. Her examination of a proposed new species of bromeliad resulted in authors Lyman B. Smith and Harold Robinson naming the new species, Navia aliciae, in her honor.

Alice has given classes at more than a dozen botanical gardens and academic institutions. Her work has appeared in numerous exhibits including those associated with the Guild of Natural Science Illustrators and the American Society of Botanical Artists. The ASBA awarded her for Excellence in Botanical Art in 2008 and she received a Highly Commended award from the Margaret Flockton Award Committee for excellence in scientific botanical illustration in both 2018 and 2019. In 2020, Alice was honored with the Jill Smythies Award in recognition of excellence in published botanical illustrations by the Linnean Society of London.

This talk will complement our exhibit The World Through Their Eyes: The Art of William Brenton Boggs and Truman Seymour. William Brenton Boggs served as an artist for the North Pacific Exploring and Surveying Expedition, also known as the Rodgers-Ringgold Expedition. Though little, if any, survives of the botanical artwork produced during the expedition, it was an important part of the scientific and exploring data collected.

A light lunch will be provided for those in attendance. We hope to see you there.

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