Fernando Botero: El Maestro opens at Desert Botanical Garden

Desert Botanical Garden proudly presents the iconic work of Fernando Botero in Fernando Botero: El Maestro, marking the first major Botero exhibit in Arizona. The exhibit highlight includes significant works from the Colombian artist’s career is now open and runs through March 31, 2024. Tickets are on sale at dbg.org.

Fernando Botero: El Maestro showcases voluminous sculpture playfully intertwined with the Garden’s own large-scale living collection of magnificent saguaros, towering cardons and the beautiful Papago buttes. The exhibit is complemented by a colorful indoor gallery in Dorrance Hall, highlighting Botero’s paintings, drawings and small sculptures.

“The Garden is thrilled to bring the first major Botero exhibit to Arizona. The Garden’s art exhibitions have become a vibrant and compelling point of pride in the Valley’s cultural scene since 2009,” says Ken Schutz, the Garden’s executive director. “In 2021-2022, Dale Chihuly’s work drew more than 601,000 visitors to the Garden and drove more than $23 million in economic impact. With several successful ‘blockbuster exhibitions’ under our belt, the Garden is excited to host the artwork of one of the most important artists in the world.”

The exhibition is a collaboration with the Museum of Latin American Art (MOLAA) in Long Beach, California, which is dedicated to modern and contemporary Latin American and Latin art. “We are excited to work with Desert Botanical Garden to bring a unique and immersive experience that celebrates Botero’s indelible contributions to the realm of Latin American Art, and we couldn’t be more delighted to showcase his artwork surrounded by the spectacular beauty of the Sonoran Desert,” says Lourdes I. Ramos-Rivas, Ph.D., president and CEO of MOLAA.

Fernando Botero, a renowned Colombian figurative artist and sculptor, established himself as one of the most globally recognized artists of our time. Botero died in September 2023 in Italy. With his distinctive style and mastery of form, Botero’s influence extends far beyond Latin America and is the artist of our time with the most museum exhibitions. His works enrich prominent locations worldwide, including the illustrious Park Avenue in New York City and the iconic Champs-Élysées in Paris.

Botero’s spectacular artwork can be found in more than 200 museums worldwide, and garden exhibitions of his work have been mounted at the New York Botanical Garden, Atlanta Botanical Garden, Missouri Botanical Garden, Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Garden, the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and Gardens by the Bay, Singapore.

To learn more about the exhibit and to buy tickets, visit dbg.org. The exhibit is open now runs through March 31, 2024. Tickets are on sale now.