by Julie Gowel ·
Friday, November 8, 2024
The New England Botanic Garden at Tower Hill in Boylston is running its annual exhibit this month: Gnomevember. The exhibit features 41 hand-painted garden gnomes, each with a different theme and back story. Caroline Charland, a 16-year-old Harvard resident, painted one of the 10 new gnomes added to the exhibit that has been running seasonally for five years.
“The initial inspiration for the gnome exhibit was to bring in artists from the community and elevate the fall season,” said Lea Morgan, exhibitions manager for Tower Hill. “They submit their idea with a design sketch and a story about what they want to do.” Not many artists have experience painting on concrete, especially on a small statue, she said. The sketches, along with short biographies, give Morgan an idea of the artist’s ability to complete the task.
Caroline Charland with her gnome "Bolly" at Tower Hill. (Courtesy photo)
The botanic garden put out a call to artists in New England and Charland answered. “I follow the botanical gardens on social media and I thought it would be a fun challenge,” she said. “I didn’t expect to get in but decided to give it a shot.”
Charland submitted her proposal in the spring and was notified in September of her inclusion in the exhibit. She and her mom went to the botanic garden to pick up the 70-plus pound concrete statue and immediately went to the Home Depot for outdoor paint that would withstand the harsh New England weather.
“I was inspired by the damp conditions in Harvard and the prevalence of fungi and mushrooms,” explained Charland. She is a foraging hobbyist and enjoys identifying decomposers in her backyard. She explained that her gnome is named Bolly, a play on the mushroom genus Boletus, which comprises over 100 species, many native to this area.
Charland’s backstory for Bolly originated from her experience watching foragers wipe out entire clusters of edible fungi. “[Bolly] wants people to [know that they can] take mushrooms,” she said. “Mushrooms are super cool, you can use them for all sorts of things, but make sure you leave some to grow. Foraging is sustainable and I think it’s just overall, helping the environment stay balanced.”
Zara Tigerbloom by Kelly Walls. (Photo by Julie Gowel)
“Her design sketch was stunning,” said Morgan of Charland’s application. “It is very impressive for someone who is as young as she is. I love mushrooms, and it was a fun story.”
Charland’s “Bolly” is located in the Garden of Inspiration. Visitors to the garden can scan QR codes for each artist on the signs located next to the statues that give the gnomes’ backstories. Younger visitors can complete a scavenger hunt and gnome checklist as they wander the various gardens in search of the gnomes. The documents are available in the exhibits section of the botanic garden’s website, nebg.org. Paper copies are not available at the gardens and the online links are not interactive. Guests can print the hunt and checklist at home.
All gnomes are on accessible pathways, ensuring every visitor can enjoy the exhibit. In addition to Charland’s “Bolly,” visitors might enjoy the four gnomes painted by Kelly Walls. The vivid colors, expressive features, and incredible detail, along with the nod to her Native American heritage, make for breathtaking garden decor.