AgCenter sets camellia stroll, 'Brush With Burden' events

Camellia Garden Stroll is Feb. 19 in Hammond
HAMMOND — The annual Camellia Garden Stroll at the LSU AgCenter Hammond Research Station will be held from 1 to 4 p.m. on Feb. 19.
Visitors are invited to stroll through a collection of more than 800 camellias that was planted by Hody Wilson from the 1930s to early 1950s when he was the station superintendent, said Allen Owings, resident coordinator at the station.
“The camellias were research trials of the varieties available at the time and a few that were bred but were never named and released,” Owings said.
During the 1990s the planting was neglected because of a shift in the research focus at the station.
In 1999, several newly trained Louisiana Master Gardeners in Tangipahoa Parish came to the rescue by taking on the cleanup and maintenance of the camellia garden, Owings said.
Camellias, including some hard-to-find varieties, will be offered for sale by the Tangipahoa Master Gardeners.
The Camellia Garden Stroll is co-sponsored by the LSU AgCenter and the Tangipahoa Parish Master Gardener Asso-ciation. Admission to the event is free and open to the public.
For information on the stroll, contact LSU AgCenter agent Whitney Wallace at 985-748-5462.
The Hammond Research Station is located at 21549 Old Covington Highway, just off U.S. 190.

Botanic Gardens at Burden will present juried art exhibition
BATON ROUGE — The LSU AgCenter Botanic Gardens at Burden will present the seventh annual Brush With Burden art exhibition from March 12-19.
“Brush With Burden is a juried multi-media exhibition,” said Jeff Kuehny, LSU AgCenter Botanic Gardens at Burden director. “It will feature all types of art inspired by Louisiana’s natural beauty under the theme ‘Southern Sights’ and will include paintings, 3-D work and photographs.”
The Brush With Burden exhibition will be open to the public in the Steele Burden Memorial Orangerie and the Ione Burden Conference Center from 1 to 4 p.m. Sundays and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. other days during the week.
The exhibition will kick off with a free reception from 4 to 6 p.m. on March 11. Awards for first, second and third place; honorable mentions; and merit for the best artwork in various categories will be presented at a ceremony at 5:30 p.m.
Marc Chatov, a leading portrait artist in America, will conduct a two-hour seminar at 9 a.m. March 11 on “100 Years of Painting in My Family Lineage.” Admission is $25 in advance or $30 at the door. Reservations may be made online at http://lsu.edu/botanic-gardens/events/bwbreg.php and paid at the event.
Chatov has been featured in several leading art publications and has won numerous awards. He is a member of prestigious art organizations, including the Salmagundi Club of New York, Oil Painters of America, American Impressionist Society and the Portrait Society of America.
He also will be juror and judge for the art show along with Elayne Kuehler of Baton Rouge.
Kuehler is full member of the Catharine Lorillard Wolfe Art Club, an associate member of Oil Painters of America and a member of the American Artists Professional League, American Woman Artists, Associated Woman in the Arts, the international Guild of Realism and the Baton Rouge Art League.
Jurors and judges for photography will include Linda Medine, known for her professional wedding photography; C.C. Lockwood, known for his wildlife photography and has published many books on the subject; and David Humphreys, a practicing artist and photographer.
The exhibition is sponsored by the Burden Horticulture Society and the Botanic Gardens.
In addition to this exhibit, winning artwork will be displayed at the Shaw Center for the Arts during April.
All artwork will be priced for sale. Commissions from any sales will be used to support initiatives of the LSU AgCenter Botanic Gardens at Burden, which is located on Essen Lane near I-10.
For information on the show, call 225-763-3990 or email bwb@burdenhorticulturesociety.com.