“Artists in the Garden” presented by Rita Bond

Discover the rich connection between art and the garden in this visually engaging program exploring how gardens have inspired artists—and how artists, in turn, have influenced garden design.

Through vivid images of both paintings and gardens, we’ll visit iconic landscapes such as Claude Monet’s garden at Giverny and explore the work of artists including Monet, Renoir, Childe Hassam, the Dutch still-life painters, and others. Learn how color, light, texture, composition, and the beauty of the natural world have moved from garden to canvas and back again.

This inspiring presentation offers a fresh way to look at both art and gardens—and may even provide new ideas for seeing and designing your own garden.

Originally from Brooklyn, New York but now a long time resident of Simsbury, Connecticut, Rita Bond is a former English teacher and holds a Masters Degree from Columbia University. Rita discovered gardening when she sought respite from the demands of raising her two children and studying for an MBA at night. She soon found she enjoyed gardening far more than finance and returned to school to earn a Certificate in Landscape Design at the New York Botanical Garden in the Bronx, New York, and became a Master Gardener through the University of Connecticut’s program.

Rita has been a landscape designer, as well as a lecturer, writer and teacher of gardening courses for thirty years. Besides a stint as co-president of the Simsbury Garden Club, she has designed residential, corporate, and public gardens, including ones for the Hartford Connecticut Children’s Medical Center and public gardens for the town of Simsbury. She was awarded the annual Connecticut Tribute Award for Landscape Design by The Federated Garden Clubs of Connecticut, Inc. for her design of one of those gardens located at the site of the Simsbury Performing Arts Center. As an educator, she has presented gardening and design programs to public libraries and numerous garden clubs, including the Massachusetts Horticultural Society. After studying color theory at the West Hartford Art League, she continued to attend painting classes and has since also become a professional artist. Her works, primarily colorful landscapes and seascapes, are available in various galleries within Connecticut. Both her artworks and some of her designed gardens may be seen on her website, www.ritabondstudios.com.