Submissions accepted through August 31, 2014
In 1939, Flushing, New York became the “World of Tomorrow,” as the World’s Fair at Flushing Meadows Corona Park introduced visitors to an array of ideas and possibilities for the future. Seven key facets of co-operative life were highlighted—amusement, communication, community interests, food, government, production and distribution, and transportation.
Amongst more than 1,000 exhibitors representing nearly 60 nations and 30 states, was a five acre display called “Gardens on Parade” showcasing horticultural specimens ranging from exotic flowers to common house plants. Visitors delighted in the rare specimens—some of which had never been seen before —as they learned how to properly care for the various flora, and how to cultivate their own gardens at home.
After receiving its charter in 1946, “Gardens on Parade” expanded to 15 acres and became Queens Botanical Garden (QBG). Tended by a team of dedicated Queens residents, these visionaries carried forth QBG’s mission to inspire and educate generations of gardeners and flower enthusiasts. Serving the most ethnically diverse county in the United States, QBG has become a place where people, plants and cultures meet.
QBG is also a model of sustainability for the city of New York and its neighboring counties with its Visitor & Administration Building—LEED® (Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design) Platinum certified by the U.S. Green Building Council—along with rain water collection and filtration systems, organic growing methods and sustainable rose garden, composting and recycling programs and pioneer programs in aquaponics. With these cutting edge initiatives, QBG continues looking ahead to the future while building on the vision of its past.
So where do you envision QBG 50 years from now? 75 years from now? What might the landscape or cityscape of the future Queens look like? What new plants or flowers might be discovered in your Garden of Tomorrow? And how might this future garden affect you, your family, your neighborhood, or the world?
For more information, please visit http://www.queensbotanical.org/programs/ArtCompetition.