This spring, Powell Gardens invites visitors to experience the return of Painted Garden, a seasonal celebration where art and horticulture meet in vibrant color. On view May 2 through June 21, the 2026 exhibition is inspired by the theme The Prairie Is Our Home, honoring the landscape, culture, and creative spirit that define the Midwest.
Across the Gardens, spring blooms unfold beneath wide skies and rolling prairies. Visitors are encouraged to wander through beds of seasonal flowers while taking in installations that reflect the region’s heritage and sense of place.
A centerpiece of this year’s festival is a new glass fountain installation created in partnership with Belger Arts. Titled Teaming with Life, the work was created by a collective of glass artists from across the United States who collaborated at the Belger Glass Annex to produce the fountain’s intricate components using traditional glassblowing techniques. Installed inside the Conservatory, the piece transforms the space into a tranquil retreat. Luminous blown-glass elements echo the shapes and colors of prairie wildflowers with lavender petals, prairie blues, and warm golden centers, creating a contemplative environment where art and nature merge.
Another highlight of the season is a new barn quilt installation throughout the Gardens. Inspired by a beloved American folk tradition, barn quilts are large painted quilt blocks traditionally displayed on barns across rural landscapes. At Powell Gardens, these iconic designs appear amid blooming garden beds, reimagining the tradition within a living landscape.
With artwork by regional and national artists set among thousands of spring blooms, Painted Garden offers a joyful intersection of creativity, nature, and Midwestern heritage. Visitors are invited to slow down, explore, and celebrate the prairie as both a place and a feeling.
Learn more and purchase admission at powellgardens.org/painted.
