Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park, one of the world’s most significant sculpture and botanic experiences, presents the 2020 calendar of events. Celebrating 25 years of being open to the public in April, Meijer Gardens continues to incorporate its core mission of exploring the duality of art and nature in the upcoming year’s events. Internationally acclaimed sculpture exhibitions, exciting horticulture shows, seasonal indoor and outdoor displays, concerts and educational programming are enjoyed by 670,000 visitors annually.
 

Expansion Update:
The Welcoming the World: Honoring a Legacy of Love expansion project continues throughout 2020, most notably with ongoing work on a new 69,000 square-foot, LEED-certified Welcome Center, scheduled to open in early 2021. The final phase of the parking lot expansion and redesign will complete the doubling of the number of parking spaces located within a one-to two-minute walk from the new Welcome Center entrance. The new configuration will offer additional accessible parking spaces near the entrance, increase the number of parking spaces overall, and add new urban and rain gardens to control water runoff— honoring our commitment to be good stewards of our environment. More information and expansion updates are available at MeijerGardens.org/growing 

Exhibitions

Rebecca Louise Law: The Womb

Through March 1, 2020
Fee: Included with admission

British installation artist Rebecca Louise Law uses dried and fresh plant material to create site-specific installations that dazzle the senses. In this captivating gallery exhibition, Rebecca Louise Law: The Womb, new work by the artist is presented in an immersive installation in the Balk Gallery. Law’s use of natural materials, mainly floral, encourages the viewer to experience the relationship between humanity and nature. The natural decay of the plant material makes this exhibit time-based and encourages frequent visits to observe the process of drying. A big believer in sustainability, Law also reuses dried plant material that has been displayed in her previous installations. Accompanying the larger installation is a collection of new glass sculptures and paintings. Law has exhibited at Kew Royal Botanic Gardens, Royal Academy of Arts, Victoria & Albert Museum and Toledo Museum of Art. 

Rebecca Louise Law: The Womb is made possible by the Meijer Foundation, Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Foundation, the Botanic and Sculpture Societies of Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park and the Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs, a partner agency of the National Endowment for the Arts. Media partner is 100.5 The River.

Orchid Show

Saturday & Sunday, January 25 – 26
January 25: Sales 10 am – 5 pm, Displays 12 – 5 pm
January 26: Sales and Displays from 11 am – 5 pm
Fee: Free

The Huizenga Grand Room will be filled with beautiful orchids, competing for ribbons and the coveted American Orchid Society Awards. Purchase an orchid to take home, as well as hard-to-find orchid growing supplies.

Animal Adventures: Surviving in the Wild

Saturdays, February 1 or February 15, 10 – 11:30 am
Fee:  $5 per child and adult members; $10 per child and adult non-members. Ages 3 and older.
In collaboration with John Ball Zoo.

Have fun exploring the survival techniques of a salamander, Fulvous whistling duck, Virginia opossum and wood turtle. Enjoy watching live animal presentations, listening to animal stories, completing art projects, playing animal-themed games, and trying your luck at animal challenges. Perfect for ages 3 to 6, but all ages are welcome. Come in from the cold and have some fun! 

Reservations are required and can be made at MeijerGardens.org, by calling Meijer Gardens at 616-975-3144, or John Ball Zoo at 616-336-4300.

Fred & Dorothy Fichter Butterflies Are Blooming

March 1—April 30, 2020
Fee: Included with admission

A guest favorite, the Fred & Dorothy Fichter Butterflies Are Blooming exhibition features butterflies from around the world flying freely in the 5 story Lena Meijer Tropical Conservatory. This year we explore an era of exploration and show how Wardian cases make modern conservatories possible. The 85-degree tropical conservatory is filled with thousands of exotic butterflies from tropical regions across the globe. More than 60 different species of butterflies and moths make this an exciting and colorful exhibition. Throughout the exhibition, butterflies can be viewed drinking nectar from the flowering plants and feeding stations, congregating among stream beds and flying freely. Approximately 800 chrysalides are delivered to Meijer Gardens weekly. Visitors watch delicate chrysalides and cocoons being placed in the Observation Station, where the unique creatures transform and take their first flight. The exhibition is made possible by the DTE Energy Foundation, Howard Miller Company, The Meijer Foundation, Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Foundation, Botanic and Sculpture Societies of Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park and the Michigan Council for Arts & Cultural Affairs, a partner agency of the National Endowment for the Arts. Media sponsor is Star 105.7.

Exhibition Activities

Who Am I? A Butterfly Ballet

Saturday, February 29, 10 am or 12:30 pm
Sunday, March 1, 12 pm or 2:30 pm
Fee: $5 per child and adult member, $8 per child and adult non-member

In collaboration with Grand Rapids Ballet. Sponsored in part by Jesse & Gia Budrick.

Choreographed by Attila Mosolygo and performed by members of the Grand Rapids Ballet Junior Company. Mark your calendars now for a thoroughly delightful butterfly ballet! Told through the eyes of a newly emerged butterfly, the story will captivate young and old alike. With colorful costumes, spectacular music and exquisite choreography, this enchanting performance will provide a unique and memorable experience.
 

To see a sneak peek of the butterfly exhibition on February 29, additional general admission fees apply for non-members.
 

An American Sign Language interpreter will be provided for the 10 am performance on February 29. Reservations for this service are required.  To reserve your space, please call 616-975-3184 or 616-975-3147, or email [email protected]

George Segal: Body Language

April 3—August 16, 2020
Fee: Included with admission

Approximately sixty years ago, the young artist George Segal embraced a new working process that catapulted him to becoming one of the most recognized twentieth-century sculptors. In 1962, Segal was included in the legendary exhibition The New Realists, along with Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein and Claes Oldenburg, which launched a new movement in art: Pop Art. This exhibition will focus on Segal’s remarkable versatility in representing body language across different media, including not only his trademark plaster sculptures but also various print techniques. This will be the first George Segal exhibition at Meijer Gardens since 2004 and the first time that a large number of prints, gifted to Meijer Gardens by the Segal Foundation, are on display. 

Lecture: Body Imagery in Contemporary Art  

Sunday, May 10, 2pm 
Fee: Included with admission

Dr. Suzanne Eberle, Professor of Art History, Kendall College of Art and Design 
 

Lecture: Exploring Process, Printmaking

Sunday, August 9th, 2pm
Fee: Included with admission

Alynn Guerra, Owner of Red Hydrant Press

Join working artist, Alynn Guerra, as she discusses the processes of printmaking. Topics will include why an artist might choose one printmaking process over the other, when to add color, and which medium is her favorite. See some examples of Guerra's work and learn about this widely appreciated artistic process.

Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park 25^th Anniversary Celebration

Sunday, April 19 – Tuesday, April 21

Relive some of the highlights of the past 25 years through photos and displays around the Gardens & Sculpture Park. The first 500 visitors on Monday, April 20 will receive a special gift. Guests will have the opportunity to sign granite panels that are part of the ongoing Welcoming the World: Honoring a Legacy of Love expansion project.

Master Lecture Series: Secchia Garden Lecture – Karen Chapman

Tuesday, April 21, 7 pm
Fee: Included with admission

Chapman will give three lectures in all, beginning with Foliage First–Three Easy Steps to Transform Your Landscape and Container Designs. Fueled by her work in one of the Pacific Northwest’s leading nurseries, the lecture will explore three simple yet simply profound steps––spotlight, highlight and limelight. Chapman will demonstrate how to design a garden framework of foliage, then layer in flowers, berries and other intriguing natural elements to create artistic vignettes. Through striking photographs and illustrations, she’ll share how to apply this trademark technique in containers and gardens of all shapes and sizes. And rest assured, she promises success for gardeners of all skill levels.

Great Gardens Party

Wednesday, May 6, 6 pm

Meijer Gardens’ signature spring fundraiser features cocktails, hors d’oeuvres, a sit-down dinner, live and silent auctions, a raffle and much more. The live and silent auctions offer exciting trips, unique items, and once-in-a-lifetime experiences as well as plant material for your garden. Horticulture experts will be on hand to answer any questions about caring for plants. Individual tickets are $100 each. Table sponsorships are available at the $2,500, $5,000 and $7,500 levels. All proceeds support Meijer Gardens’ mission of promoting the enjoyment, understanding and appreciation of gardens, sculpture, the natural environment and the arts. 

Michigan All-State Bonsai Show 

Saturday & Sunday, May 9–10
Saturday: Sales 9 am–5 pm, Displays 12–5 pm
Sunday: Sales and Displays 11 am– 5 pm
Fee: Included with admission
 

Enjoy stunning bonsai trees on display in the Huizenga Grand Room. Shop for bonsai, specialty pots and growing supplies from a great selection of vendors. Attend free demonstrations and watch bonsai artists at work. A variety of hands-on workshops are available by pre-registration.

Fifth Third Bank Summer Concerts at Meijer Gardens

June –September

The Fifth Third Bank Summer Concerts at Meijer Gardens concert series brings the finest national and international musicians to West Michigan, thrilling music lovers across all genres and all generations. Concerts run from June through September and the Frederik Meijer Gardens Amphitheater features beautiful terraced lawn seating and food, beverage and merchandise concessions—surrounded by spectacular views of gardens and sculpture. The full lineup is announced in April. The series is generously sponsored by Fifth Third Bank, Harvey Lexus of Grand Rapids and Spectrum Health. Media sponsors are MLive / Grand Rapids Press, FOX17 and Star 105.7.

Iris Show

Saturday & Sunday, June 6-7
Saturday 1-5 pm, Sunday 11 am-5 pm
Fee: Included with admission 

Enjoy a variety of tall bearded and Siberian iris blossoms on display, all locally grown for this judged show. View floral designs featuring iris flowers.

Rose Show

Saturday & Sunday, June 20-21
Saturday 1-5 pm, Sunday 11 am-5 pm
Fee: Free

Enjoy a variety of rose blossoms on display, all locally grown and carefully prepped for this judged show. Vote for the most fragrant rose and get your rose growing questions answered.

Tuesday Evening Music Club

Tuesdays in July & August

July & August welcomes the Tuesday Evening Music Club to the stage at the Frederik Meijer Gardens Amphitheater, a series featuring the region’s finest performers. Guests are encouraged to enjoy the entire facility in addition to the concerts. Bring a picnic, dance and enjoy the beautiful summer weather. The Tuesday Evening Music Club is sponsored by Meyer Music, WYCE and Corporate Live.

Hosta Show

Saturday & Sunday, July 18-19
Saturday 10 am-5 pm, Sunday 11 am-5 pm
Fee: Free

In this “leaf show,” hosta leaves will be displayed in vases, showcasing an amazing variety of colors, shapes, sizes and textures. West Michigan Hosta Society members will be available to answer questions.

Dahlia Show

Saturday & Sunday, August 29 & 30
Saturday 12-5 pm, Sunday 11 am-4 pm
Fee: Free

Hundreds of dahlias will be on display in the Huizenga Grand Room.  Flower sizes will vary from the size of a golf ball to a dinner plate.  Many unusual forms and a rainbow of colors will be displayed.  

Like New: Art in the Age of Recycling and Beyond

September 11, 2020 – January 3, 2021
Art Prize: September 16 – October 4
Fee: Included with admission

Throughout the 20^th century, artists from Pablo Picasso to Jim Dine broke with traditional methods of sculpture and instead constructed new forms out of old parts, scavenged from their neighborhoods, yard sales and trash piles. Today, repurposed sculpture is a global practice. The artists included in this exhibition present new approaches to sculptural repurposing in a world where changing technologies, economic scarcity and environmental pollution are some of the global challenges of the 21^st century.  

Chrysanthemums & More! Exhibition

September 18 – November 1
Fee: Included with admission

This annual celebration of the autumn season features an extensive chrysanthemum display with hundreds of flowering plants in both interior and exterior areas. Indoor highlights include varieties on display along the winding BISSELL Corridor and in the Grace Jarecki Seasonal Display Greenhouse, while outdoor plantings are featured in the Lena Meijer Children’s Garden, Michigan’s Farm Garden and Volunteer Tribute Garden. Tram rides and seasonal children’s activities are available. 

Herb & Gourd Fest

Saturday & Sunday, September 19-20
Saturday 10 am-5 pm, Sunday 11 am-5 pm
Fee: Free

Discover a variety of ways to use herbs & gourds in this fall event. A variety of gourds will be available for purchase.

The Richard & Helen DeVos Japanese Garden 5^th Anniversary Celebration Lecture
Leslie Buck – My Apprenticeship in the Gardens of Kyoto

Tuesday, September 22, 6 pm
Fee: Included with admission

In this photographic presentation, Author Leslie Buck will embark on a garden adventure in Kyoto as seen through the daily lives of gardeners, rather than visitors. Discover the plants, people and creatures in the gardens that many people consider living art as she highlights experiences from her memoir, Cutting Back.

Her book Cutting Back will be available for purchase and signing after the lecture.

The Richard & Helen DeVos Japanese Garden 5^th Anniversary Celebration

Tuesday, September 22
Fee: Included with admission

Celebrate the first five years of The Richard & Helen DeVos Japanese Garden with docent-led tours, hands-on demonstrations and more. The day concludes with a unique water lantern launch and ceremony at dusk.

Fall Bonsai Show
Saturday & Sunday, October 3 – 4 
Saturday 10 am-5 pm, Sunday 11 am-5 pm
Fee: Free
 

See a variety of bonsai on display, from trees in early stages of training to lovely older trees. Watch bonsai artists at work and shop for bonsai trees as well as bonsai tools and supplies.

Holiday Gift Show

Saturday, November 7
Fee: Free
 
Find the perfect gift for everyone on your list at the Meijer Gardens Holiday Gift Show. Members and the public alike are welcome. This highly anticipated annual event attracts shoppers from all over Michigan, so shop early for the best selection. We’ll even treat you to free gift-wrapping! Members receive a 10% discount on their purchases.

Metro Health Christmas & Holiday Traditions Exhibition

November 24 – January 3, 2021
Fee: Included with admission

Experience the most magical time of year as Meijer Gardens transforms into a world of winter magic with the glow of nearly 400,000 lights, 46 captivating international trees and displays, strolling carolers, Santa visits and more surprises than can fit under the tree. The Railway Garden is a holiday favorite and winds its way through three separate indoor gardens. Metro Health Christmas & Holiday Traditions is made possible by Metro Health - University of Michigan Health. The Railway Garden is sponsored by Warner Norcross + Judd. Media sponsor is Star 105.7.

Christmas Cabaret

Wednesday, December 2, 6 pm

The Christmas Cabaret is Meijer Garden’s signature holiday celebration. This annual fundraising gala is an opportunity to ring in the holiday season in the most festive of ways. Guests will enjoy the Metro Health Christmas & Holiday Traditions exhibition during cocktail hour and will then be treated to a delicious plated dinner while enjoying holiday entertainment.