#InTheLoop | Art Imitates Life…Plant Life, That Is

Denise Sfraga favors photography, painting, and collage. The Brooklyn-raised artist draws inspiration from the natural world, especially the life cycle of plants. She marvels at everything from germination to formation to growth to pollination to decay.

Her solo exhibition, Strange Brew, will be on display at The Garage Art Center in Bayside for the entire month of April with an opening reception on Saturday, April 1, from 4 pm to 6 pm.

Strange Brew will showcase Sfraga’s latest works, including drawings and paintings of various sizes, all of which are botanically inspired.

As part of the program, Sfraga, who has a Master of Fine Arts in Photography from LIU Post, will lead a workshop, Probing Peculiar Plants, on Saturday, April 15, from 3 pm to 4:30 pm. She’ll give a presentation of strange and peculiar plants such as Happy Aliens, Devil’s Tooth, and Corpse Flower. Then, participants will draw wacky and weird plants using markers, colored pencils, stencils, crayons, and their imaginations.

Everything is free, but donations are accepted. Registration is required for visits.

The Garage Art Center consists of a gallery and an outdoor seating area at 26-01 Corporal Kennedy St., about two blocks east of the Clearview Expressway. Stephanie S. Lee, who teaches Korean folk art at Flushing Town Hall and works at Queens College’s Godwin-Ternbach Museum, created the mini-museum by converting a garage in a residential area. There’s parking on the street.

Images: The Garage Art Center