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The International Garden Festival / Reford Gardens The International Garden Festival is an initiative of Alexander Reford, Philippe Poullaouec-Gonidec and Marie-Josée Lacroix, co-founders of the event, and Denis Lemieux, Festival Director. A cultural and tourism event of international scope, the festival is a creative celebration intended to make the Gardens a must-see attraction for all nature lovers and culture buffs, as it brings together designers in all disciplines involved in reflecting on renewal in the art of gardening. It is an opportunity for designers to experiment and make a name for themselves, with the goal of attracting as wide an audience as possible to explore new trends and enjoy original experiences for the senses. In 2001, the Festival built on the success of its first edition in 2000, once again drawing over 100,000 visitors to the Reford Gardens and receiving extensive media coverage in some of the most prestigious North American and European magazines. The Festival was also awarded the Grand Prix du tourisme québécois in the Tourism Event category and the Attractions Canada Award for Quebec in the Cultural Event category. Claude Cormier, designer of the 2000 edition, received the "National Honour" award from the Canadian Society of Landscape Architects for his "Blue Stick Garden." The NIP Paysage team also earned a "National Merit" award from the Society in 2001 for its "In Vitro" garden, further evidence of the Festival's role as a professional springboard and avant-garde showcase. The third edition of the International Garden Festival will be held at Reford Gardens from June 21 to September 15, 2002. The guest country this year will be the United Kingdom, as part of the "UK …OK!" event organized by the British Council. Among the nine gardens in the 2002 edition, three temporary gardens will be created by British designers: Bonita Bulaitis, Paul Cooper and Christopher Bradley-Hole. In addition, the Gardens will be presenting an exhibition entitled The Ideal Hut Show /La cabane idéale, featuring ten garden sheds by British designers and ten by Canadian designers selected through an open competition. Discussions are currently underway to have the exhibition presented in Montreal as well, with the possibility of it travelling to other cities, depending on the contacts developed by Neil Baxter (Glasgow), the initiator of the exhibition. www.jardinsmetis.com UK … OK! UK … OK! is a year-long celebration of cultural exchanges between the United Kingdom and Quebec, a salute to artists and designers from England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland and their hosts around the province at venues from Montreal to Grand-Métis. This showcase features innovative works in visual arts, film, music, theatre, dance, literature, design and multimedia. UK ... OK! follows up on Québec in Motion, presented in the UK in 2000, and is a result of long-term partnerships supported by the British Council, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, and the Quebec Ministère des Relations internationales and Ministère de la Culture et des Communications. www.ca.britishcouncil.org
"Shed Heaven! An amazing collection of garden huts is set to startle Scotland."
This exhibition, organized by
Neil Baxter, was presented in Glasgow in 1999 as part of celebrations
to mark Glasgow's recognition as "UK City of Architecture and
Design." Based on an original idea by George Willie, the exhibition
showcased 15 garden sheds designed by Neil Baxter Associates, Elder
& Cannon, Piers Gough (CZWG), Gareth Hoskins Architects, Eric
Jiricna, David Mackay (MBM Arquitectes), Andy MacMillan, McKeown Alexander
Architects, McInnes Gardner Architects, Isi Metzstein, Page &
Park Architects, Ian Ritchie Architects, Paul Smith, Ushida Findlay
Architects and Zoo Architects. It was presented at the Glasgow Botanical
Garden from June 12 to 27, 1999, and the sheds themselves were later
auctioned off to raise funds for "The Big Issue in Scotland."
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