The Botanical Research Institute of Texas (BRIT) will present its 2019 International Award of Excellence in Conservation to Shirley Sherwood, OBE, Ph.D., for her lifelong work in botany through the collection, preservation, and exhibition of botanical art.
The award dinner will be held on Oct. 2, 2019, at Frost Tower Fort Worth.
Since her childhood, Sherwood has been interested in both plants and art, BRIT said in a news release.
She graduated from the University of Oxford in England with a degree in botany and earned her Ph.D. as part of the research team of Nobel Prize winner Sir James Black, whose group discovered Tagamet, one of the most successful drugs produced for the treatment of duodenal ulcers.
“Shirley helps connect people with plants and conservation through botanical art,” said Ed Schneider, BRIT’s executive director. “Her extensive collection of classic and contemporary botanical art and her unselfish desire to share it through her art exhibitions around the world are truly grounds to be awarded with our top conservation honor.”
Sherwood began collecting botanical illustrations 30 years ago. Today, her comprehensive collection comprises nearly 1,000 artworks by 303 artists from 36 countries. It records the emergence of a new wave of botanical artists and the renaissance of their art form, BRIT said.
In 2008, she opened The Shirley Sherwood Gallery of Botanical Art at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
“Dr. Sherwood has been a central force in the renaissance of botanical art through her collection,” said Carol Woodin, director of exhibitions, American Society of Botanical Artists. “We owe her a debt of gratitude for her dedication in collecting and preserving this unique art form and making it available for the world to admire.”
BRIT’s annual award event has played an important role in raising public awareness of its mission and has brought an increased understanding of the importance of conservation issues and environmental awareness, the news release said.
The award was created in 1995. Sherwood is the 25th recipient and joins a list of individuals and organizations that exemplify the ideals expressed in BRIT’s mission of conservation and education. Honorees include scientists, conservationists, heads of state, philanthropists, Pulitzer Prize winners, politicians and other notables.
Tickets to BRIT’s award presentation dinner may be purchased at:
http://bit.ly/2019BRIT
– FWBP Staff