The Secret Garden
As Vashon’s gardens burst into bloom, VCA’s Koch Gallery transforms into The Secret Garden—an inviting celebration of nature and artistic imagination. This spring exhibition brings the outdoors in, turning the gallery into a lush, whimsical space filled with botanical beauty and creative wonder.
At the heart of the show are Jean Emmons’ exquisite botanical watercolors, capturing the delicate intricacies of plant life. Enhancing the garden atmosphere, a curated selection of outdoor sculptures and functional art invites visitors to discover new ways to bring creativity into their own green spaces.
You'll discover mosaic works by Elaine Summers and Christina Dubois, bronze and found-object Viking vessels by Steve Jensen, found object metal sculpture by David Erue, and bird wood carvings by Mike Leavitt. Brian Fisher offers mythological metal figures designed to crown fence posts, while potters Sara Barry, Tara Brenno, Christian Pearson, and Cynthia Peter contribute distinctive outdoor sculptures. Alex Echevarria's concrete sculptures withstand the PNW elements with whimsy. Barbara Gustafson adds an earthy charm with her woven garden basket and Rachel Osborn’s standing glass sculptures bring vibrant color and light to the scene.
Immerse yourself into a special garden setting designed and installed by John Coghlan (landscape designer/gardener, HomeGrown Organics). In the garden, you will meet "Fernadetter, the Cultivator". Grown from the raw Vashon earth, Fernadetter tends the Terra with flowers, mosses, succulents, ferns, and decorative botanicals. She is a vision of beauty conceived and created by Melissa Feveryear (owner/floral designer, Terra Bella Flowers), Aimee Demarest (farmer, designer, owner, Agnes & Chloe Vintage Clothing) and Emily Burns (independent creator/project manager).
Whether you're seeking inspiration or a special piece to enliven your patio or yard, The Secret Garden offers a fresh and imaginative way to celebrate the season.
Jean Emmons: Botanical Watercolors on Vellum
This rare and expansive exhibition presents the largest collection to date of Jean Emmons’s original botanical watercolor paintings on vellum. Known for her meticulous technique and deep reverence for the natural world, Emmons brings together scientific observation and artistic intuition in 17 original works—all available for purchase.
Initially trained in abstraction and color, Emmons turned to botanical art through her love of gardening and a career in horticultural illustration. The subject of her paintings are often plants she has grown and observed over many seasons. Her method—rooted in medieval manuscript illumination—builds up 40 to 50 translucent layers of watercolor, capturing the shifting light and intricate structure of each specimen.
“Botanical painting is obsessional,” Emmons says. “I spend many hours staring at a plant from two inches away. Watching light shift on a transforming plant is so restorative.”
This is a rare opportunity to experience the richness and detail of Emmons’s work on such a scale. Each piece invites viewers to slow down and witness the quiet complexity of the botanical world—rendered with extraordinary care, patience.
Jean Emmons painting demonstration (free)
Jean Emmons will be at VCA on Sunday, June 22, from 12–5pm for a free, informal painting demonstration. Stop by anytime to watch her work and ask questions about her process.