At 8 a.m. next Saturday, November 13, California Botanic Garden will unveil its newest garden exhibit, a collaborative effort with artist Brandon Lomax titled (Re)place. The exhibit will feature numerous organic and sculptural works by Lomax that will be distributed throughout the vast Claremont garden.

The various works range from “fully-fired clay works that are as durable as stone to unfired works that are more vulnerable to the weather and elements of the garden,” a news release read. Viewers will get to witness Lomax’s unfired clay works “disintegrate and rejoin the soil” as “their once solid forms [are] replaced by a wildflower garden,” the release explained.

“Referencing multiple meanings of place, the exhibit becomes the site of restoration, substitution, and belonging as it celebrates diversity in all forms: class, race, gender, sexuality, religion, etc. The show reminds us that we are here because we are vital contributors. The artist’s hope is that we humans can celebrate our own biodiversity and work together to create a more symbiotic relationship with our earth in this place, and every other,” according to the news release.

During the exhibit’s opening day, Lomax will be at the garden leading “public sculpture workshops [and] guiding participants in making simple sculptural clay forms.” These workshops will last about one hour and will be offered at 10 a.m., 12 p.m., and 2 p.m.

Ticket prices for the workshops range from $15 for public admission, $10 for botanic garden members, and $5 for children. To register for a workshop, visit https://www.calbg.org/event/re-place-exhibition-workshop-10.

The exhibit is scheduled to run for until June 1, 2022, during which time the natural elements of the garden “will degrade the unfired sculptures back into soil and seeds will sprout and blossom, replacing the sculptures that once stood in their place,” the news release said. Residents are encouraged to stop by the garden before the conclusion of the exhibit to view “the transformation of their sculptural works into native flora.”

For more information, visit https://www.calbg.org/exhibitions/brandon-lomax-re-place or call the California Botanic Garden at (909) 625-8767. The California Botanic Garden is located at 1500 N College Avenue in Claremont.