Friday, December 19, 12 – 1pm
Calder Gardens, Philadelphia. Photo by Iwan Baan © Calder Gardens. Artwork by Alexander Calder © 2025 Calder Foundation, New York / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York
Free; registration required.
About the Talk
Erin Monda on Calder Gardens’ Landscape Design
On-Site & Online Talk | Member Appreciation Days
Members are invited to learn about the development and care of the landscape at Calder Gardens with horticulture manager Erin Monda. Created by renowned Dutch landscape designer Piet Oudolf to engage directly with Alexander Calder’s work and Herzog & de Meuron’s architecture, the landscape of Calder Gardens unfolds as a choreographed progression that moves visitors from a hectic cityscape to a more contemplative realm.
Oudolf is known for transforming garden design with his naturalistic planting style, which emphasizes perennial plants and aims to create gardens that evolve beautifully through each season. His best-known US projects include Battery Park and the Highline in New York and Lurie Garden in Chicago. Join us as Monda shares a behind-the-scenes look at the process of creating and maintaining this four-season landscape.
Calder Gardens, Philadelphia. Photo by Iwan Baan. Artwork by Alexander Calder © 2025 Calder Foundation, New York / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York
Speakers
Erin Monda
Monda is the horticulture manager at Calder Gardens. Previously, she was a section horticulturist at the Morris Arboretum & Gardens, where she managed and designed a diverse range of gardens and landscapes. She holds a dual master of science in nonprofit leadership and master of environmental studies from the University of Pennsylvania.
Go Further
Members-Only Tour: Henri Rousseau: A Painter’s Secrets
Members are invited to exclusive tours of Henri Rousseau: A Painter’s Secrets in the Roberts Gallery.
Member Appreciation Talk: David Hartt on Freedom Dreams
The Philly-based artist discusses his work and the upcoming Barnes exhibition Freedom Dreams.
Members-Only Online Tour: Self-Taught Visionaries: Van Gogh, Pippin, and Beyond
This exclusive virtual tour focuses on self-taught artists in the Barnes collection.