Welcome from Dr. Peter Raven

Voice: Dr. Peter H. Raven, President Welcome to the Missouri Botanical Garden and to our exhibition "Chapungu: Nature, Man, and Myth." I'm Dr. Peter Raven, president of the Garden. Use this cell phone commentary to learn a little more about these sculptors and their art, which come to us from the African nation of Zimbabwe. I've been captivated by the beauty and interest of these Chapungu stone sculptures since I first saw them in 1989 at the world class Kirstenbosch Botanical Garden in Cape Town, South Africa. In 2001, our Garden presented a major exhibition by Zimbabwe's Chapungu Sculpture Park artists. Two of the sculptures from that time have become an important part of our permanent collection. They are in our azalea-rhododendron dell, near the tram shelter. The Chapungu art expresses feelings and experiences representative of life in Zimbabwe but at the same time is common to all people, no matter what your cultural heritage may be. We're privileged to host this new exhibition of stone sculpture, enhanced by the natural setting of our beautiful garden. We're also delighted to host many of the artists who will be in residence here throughout the summer, giving workshops and demonstrations. At the end of this audio commentary, listen for the prompt that allows you to tell us your thoughts. Your comments are very important to us. Thanks for visiting and enjoy the Garden!