TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – The University of Alabama Arboretum will celebrate its 50th anniversary at the “Art & Accolades Gala” Thursday, April 3 from 6 to 8 p.m. at the President’s Mansion on The University of Alabama campus.
The Gala will be the grand finale to the Arboretum’s year-long 50th anniversary celebration with live music, cocktails, heavy hors d’oeuvres and a live auction.
Auction items will include many original works by artists including former UA faculty members Frank Engle and Richard Zoellner and UA alumnus and internationally famous artist Nall, whose works have been shown in numerous museums throughout the world including the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston and the Musee de Beaux Arts in Nice, France.
There also will be a high quality art “pass-along.” In the “pass-along,” which takes its name from pass-along plants traditionally grown in the South, people from the Tuscaloosa community will bring high quality art work to be sold or auctioned at the event.
“Both serious and amateur art collectors are likely to find bargains and investments at the Gala,” said Jerry Freese, president of the Friends of the Arboretum, organizers of the fundraising event.
Gala tickets are $40 per person or $75 a couple. RSVP by calling 205/553-3278, or by sending a check, made out to the UA Arboretum, to Pat Vaum 6605 Waterfront Drive, Tuscaloosa, AL 35406.
Former Arboretum directors will be honored at the Gala including two former presidents of the University, Dr. Joab Thomas and Dr. Roger Sayers; and two emeritus biology professors, Dr. Gibbes Patton and Dr. Fred Gabrielson.
Proceeds from the fund-raising event will help pay for a variety of projects at the arboretum, including stream stabilization, trees and shrubs for the amphitheater area, stones for walls, paving, sculpture and a play area in the Children’s Garden and eradication of exotic and invasive plants.
The Gala’s 50th anniversary celebration year has included a variety of public events such as an organized tree canopy-climbing for children, planting trees at the Arboretum, workshops on pruning and container gardening, and public lectures by local and nationally recognized experts in a variety of botanical subjects.
The University of Alabama Arboretum maintains plant collections for botanical education and appreciation. The arboretum features walking trails through a native woodland section, a wildflower garden, a collection of ornamental plants, an experimental garden and a children’s garden.
The federal government donated most of the land for the arboretum to support the University’s goals of promoting research and providing public education and service. Today the UA Arboretum is part of a national network that shares plant information with scientists, students and the public.
The UA Arboretum is sponsored by the department of biological sciences in the College of Arts and Sciences.
The College of Arts and Sciences is the University’s largest division and the largest liberal arts college in the state. Students from the College have won numerous national awards including Rhodes Scholarships, Goldwater Scholarships and memberships on the “USA Today” Academic All-American Teams.
The arboretum is open daily from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m., except on New Year’s Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. There is no admission charge for entrance. Tours are available by reservation. Contact the arboretum for more information, at 205/553-3278 or www.arboretum.ua.edu.
Editors’s note: Classes will not be in session at UA March 17-21 due to spring break.
Contact
Sarah Colwell, College of Arts and Sciences, 205/348-8539, scolwell@as.ua.edu