Jean & Alfred Goldstein Exhibition Series
On view February 9 – June 29, 2025
Downtown Sarasota campus
Tropical Conservatory, Gardens, The Museum of Botany & the Arts
© Barry Feinstein Photography Inc. All rights reserved.
For the ninth installment of the Jean & Alfred Goldstein Exhibition Series, to be held from February 9 – June 29, 2025, Marie Selby Botanical Gardens is planning an exciting exhibition that will explore the deep and meaningful connection between musician George Harrison – best known as the lead guitarist of the legendary rock band The Beatles – and the pastime of gardening, which became his greatest passion.
George’s love of gardening was an integral part of his identity. In an interview in Rolling Stone magazine in 1979, the renowned singer-songwriter described himself as “just a gardener.” His strong association with gardening was further illustrated in his 1980 autobiography, I Me Mine, dedicated “to gardeners everywhere.”
In 1970, not long after The Beatles disbanded, the then 27-year-old George purchased the estate of Friar Park in Henley-on-Thames, a small town in the county of Oxfordshire, England. Built by an eccentric lawyer named Sir Frank Crisp in 1889, this once grand Victorian mansion with spectacular gardens had fallen into disrepair. With the help of his wife, Olivia Harrison, George was able to revitalize the neglected property, consisting of the mansion, lodges, and 32 acres of grounds. It was in this process that George’s love of gardening began to flower.
George’s free approach to gardening combined creativity, spontaneity, whimsy, humor, and joy. This approach has inspired the upcoming exhibition at Selby Gardens, which will combine a dynamic display of objects and ephemera in the Museum of Botany & the Arts with stunning horticultural vignettes in the Tropical Conservatory and throughout the gardens of the 15-acre Downtown Sarasota campus. Featured throughout the exhibition will be a selection of George’s music and lyrics, as well as excerpts from Came the Lightening, a book of poems by Olivia Harrison dedicated to George and reflecting on their time together. The resulting multi-sensory experience will highlight George’s connection to nature and celebrate his life and legacy through the power of plants.
Read the press release here.
Join us for special programming tied to the exhibition!
The Richard and Ellen Sandor Annual Lecture on Art and Nature featuring Olivia Harrison
Join us for a luncheon and conversation with Olivia Harrison, film producer and widow of George Harrison, and Robin Lane Fox, renowned gardener, author, and historian, in celebration of the exhibition!
Tuesday, February 11, 2025
11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Dowtown Sarasota campus
An Evening with Patti Smith Dedicated to George Harrison
Selby Gardens’ Artist in Residence, Patti Smith, returns for a special performance in celebration of the exhibition!
Wednesday, February 12, 2025
7 to 8 p.m.
Dowtown Sarasota campus
Tickets coming soon!
Exhibition Evenings
Exhibition Evenings build a deeper understanding of our spring art exhibition. The event includes a reception with light hors’devours and beverages from Michael’s on East and performance by a leading Sarasota performing arts organization on the terrace or inside of the Selby Gardens Event Center.
Exhibition Evenings begin at 5:30 p.m. at our Downtown Sarasota campus
February 19 – Venice Symphony
March 18 – Sarasota Opera
April 16 – The Sarasota Ballet’s Margaret Barbieri Conservatory
May 14 – Jade Strings Duo
© Terry O’Neill/Iconic Images
