Brian Kemble never ceases to be awed by the “fearful symmetry” of agave plants, to borrow a phrase from William Blake. When he sees the light striking a plant in a certain way or notices a delightful detail when looking at a plant up close, out comes his camera. The photo exhibit features a selection of the photos he has taken over the years, augmented by some of his “Agave Patterns,” created by cropping a rectangle from a photo, then mirroring and replicating it to make an elaborate composition. Join us for a special reception and lecture with Brian where he will share an example of his creative process, as well as sharing stories of his travels to see plants in nature.

Brian is the Curator at the Ruth Bancroft Garden, and he has been at the Garden since 1980, working for many years with Ruth before the Garden opened to the public. Since his first trip to Mexico in the early 1980’s, he has made a point of seeking out the habitats of various Agave species, and he has also sought to grow as many of them as possible at RBG, including hybrids created by pollinating plants in the garden.

Following the lecture, explore the display of special botanical arrangements and the curated exhibit. Light refreshments and drinks will be provided.

In conjunction with the opening reception and lecture, we will have a pop-up sale starting at 4:30 pm, featuring unusual agaves from 3 growers: master hybridizer Jeremy Spath, Randy Baldwin of San Marcos Growers, and the Bancroft Garden’s curators – Brian Kemble and Walker Young.

Evening schedule:

4:30-5pm- Check-in and peruse pop-up sale and exhibit

5-6pm- Lecture

6-6:30pm- Peruse pop-up sale and exhibit

Go here for more information about the “Agave as Art” exhibit that will be open to the public from Feb. 17th-25th, 2024.

Go here for our cancellation and refund policy.