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Lara Call Gastinger

@laragastinger

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Botanical artist, author of just published A Perpetual Journal Practice 🌱

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10 YEARS OF ARTISTS. 🖤

118+ exhibitions. 1,724+ artists.

Over the past ten years, one of the greatest privileges of my work at Second Street Gallery has been creating opportunities for artists and watching where those opportunities can lead.

Since I arrived at the gallery in September 2016, SSG has presented more than 118 exhibitions featuring more than 1,724 artists. Behind those numbers are the formation of hundreds of relationships and ideas, risks taken, works sold, conversations started, and artistic visions realized.

Some artists have traveled from across the country, and as far away as Australia, to exhibit with us. Others live and work right here in Virginia. Some were already well established when we began working together; for others, SSG provided an early solo exhibition, a first institutional opportunity, or a chance to create something they had never been able to do before.

Those relationships, and the trust artists place in us, are at the heart of what Second Street Gallery does.

As I celebrate ten years as SSG’s Executive Director & Chief Curator, we are looking not only at what we’ve accomplished together, but at what comes next.

Our 10 YEARS. $100,000. THE NEXT CHAPTER. campaign will help ensure that SSG can continue supporting artists, presenting ambitious contemporary art, and creating opportunities for our community to experience something unexpected.

Ten years tells the story of where we’ve been. Your support helps determine where we go next.

Help us write the next chapter. 🖤Kristen

🔗 Support the campaign through the link in our bio.

#SecondStreetGallery #SSGMilestone #SSGFundraiser #SupportLocalArts #ContemporaryArt #CharlottesvilleArts #10YearsofArt

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Les lanternes "magiques" du savonnier, ces fruits me fascinent.
Leurs formes, leur fragilité, leurs couleurs.
Je les trouves réconfortants.

💚

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Monday, November 2nd

Invasive Species Family Hike with Blue Ridge PRISM
Riverview Park | 1–2 PM
Join Blue Ridge PRISM for an easy hike/walk during Cville Tree Week and learn how to identify the most common invasive plants along the trail at Riverview Park! This is a great opportunity for families to learn more about plant identification and how to tell the difference between invasive plants and the native trees/plants we want to protect. Ideal beginner opportunity for future citizen scientists.

Perpetual Journal Workshop
Northside Library | 2–3:30 PM
Lara Call Gastinger is a botanical artist and illustrator. She was the chief
illustrator for the Flora of Virginia project and developed a perpetual nature journal practice in 2001. In this workshop, Lara will introduce basic skills for starting and maintaining a perpetual journal practice. She will have copies of her book available for purchase after the event.

🗓️ With close to 20 events happening throughout the week, there are plenty of ways to get involved! Visit the link in our bio to explore the online schedule and register for events that catch your eye.

👀 Stay tuned! Each day, we’ll be highlighting events from the schedule to give you a closer look at what’s happening and help you plan your Cville Tree Week experience.

🌳 Let’s make Charlottesville’s first Tree Week one to remember!

#Cvilletreeweek #urbanforestry #invasivespecies #Sustainability #riverviewpark

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In this month’s episode of the Oak Spring Podcast, we sit down with botanical artist and plant ecologist Lara Gastinger to explore the deep intersection of art, science, and nature observation. From her early days exploring Virginia’s landscapes to illustrating over 1,300 species for the landmark ‘Flora of Virginia,’ Lara shares her journey into becoming a full-time botanical artist. She dives into the origins and philosophy of her signature “Perpetual Journal” practice – a simple, weekly ritual of documenting the changing seasons over 25 years. Lara offers practical advice on overcoming the pressure of perfection, building a sustainable sketching habit, and using nature journaling as both a tool for personal mindfulness and a form of advocacy for local biodiversity.

Later in the conversation, Lara takes us behind the scenes of her recent Supertrees Expedition to the American West, where she served as the official traveling artist documenting ancient Bristlecone pines, massive Sequoias, and towering Redwoods. She reflects on the creative challenge of capturing the immense scale, age, and beauty of these living giants using a custom accordion-style sketchbook. Whether discussing the vibrant sap on a pinecone or the joy of recognizing repeat seasonal shifts in your own backyard, Lara inspires us to pause, look closely at the natural world, and start recording the beauty around us today.

To listen to the full episode, visit the link in our bio and you can subscribe to download our monthly episodes on your favorite podcast app, including Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

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Join us in celebrating the urban canopy that makes our city such a special place to live. From the shade of our neighborhood trees to the green spaces that bring us together, this week is all about appreciating our urban forest and finding new ways to care for and connect with nature.

🗓️ With close to 20 events happening throughout the week, there are plenty of ways to get involved! Visit the link in our bio to explore the online schedule and register for events that catch your eye.

Stay tuned! Each day, we’ll be highlighting events from the schedule to give you a closer look at what’s happening and help you plan your Cville Tree Week experience.

🌳 Let’s make Charlottesville’s first Tree Week one to remember!

#releafcville #biophiliccities #treeweek #cvilletreeweek #urbancanopy

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I am greatly honored to receive the 2026 ASBA Lizzie Sanders New Artist Award, announced at the ASBA Annual Conference in Denver on October 3.

This award was established in memory of the botanical artist Lizzie Sanders by her children, Robin and Toby Sanders, to recognize and encourage new artists. It is especially meaningful to receive an award that honors her artistic legacy.

My heartfelt thanks to the American Society of Botanical Artists, Lara Call Gastinger, Chair of the ASBA Awards Committee, Carol Woodin, Director of Exhibitions, the Awards Committee, Karen Kluglein, Patricia Jonas, John Pastoriza-Piñol, Vincent Jeannerot, and most importantly, the Sanders family for this wonderful honor.

A special thank you to Lara for sending me the video of the award presentation. I was so happy to be able to see it!

Thank you again to everyone who made this possible.
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#AmericanSocietyofBotanicalArtists #LizzieSandersAward #botanicalart

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Le 21 septembre, je me suis offert un merveilleux cadeau d'anniversaire j'ai enfin commencé le carnet perpétuel de @laragastinger, talentueuse et douce artiste que j'affectionne particulièrement.

Un carnet qui me suivra pour quelques années.

🙏🌿💚

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Perpetual journal week of September 24-October 1st.

New England Aster (Symphyotrichum novae-angliae) from my garden in front of the monarch house. 💜

Paints by @beampaints
Journal by @realwondercabin
Learned perpetual journaling from @laragastinger
To learn more about nature journaling visit @wildwonderfoundation
Micron pens and watercolors from @blickartmaterials

#naturejournaling #perpetualjournal #mainemasternaturalist #nativeplants #homegrownnationalpark

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An action-packed week filled to the brim with wonderful authors from all across the nation 💚📚 tickets to all upcoming events (including these!) are available at TatteredCover.com!

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#authorevent #authors #bookstagram #booksellers #booksbooksbooks

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I’m finally getting back to my #perpetualjournal, filling in the blanks and adding new specimens to the missed weeks 🍁 I got @laragastinger “A perpetual journal practice” book back in June, but life got heavily in the way and haven’t had the chance to thank her for including my work in her book, but most of all for introducing me to her way of recording nature 🍂 Lara’s approach has proven to be the only one that can keep up with my life, allowing for periods of hiatus without letting me feel as I’m left behind or that I have, once again, left something unfinished…I’m still adding to my first journal started back in 2017. So, thank you Lara ❤️

#perpetualjournal_mc #botanicalsketchdates #lgperpetualjournal #journalingwithnature

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Another mushroom study but this time about Pinwheel Mushrooms. Thank you @laragastinger for sharing this during your IG session. We learn so much! 🫰🏼The pinwheels are so adorable. 🍄

#lgperpetualjournal #botanicalillustrations #botanical #mushrooms #watercolours

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September 28, 2026
False sunflower
Heliopsis helianthoides

First entry in my perpetual nature journal practice. Inspired by the work of @laragastinger

I highly recommend her book, A Perpetual Journal Practice, as well as her videos on Patreon.

I also recommend the maker who made the lovely handmade journal I’m using, bwk.art

#lgperpetualjournal #perpetualjournal

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