2026 Friends of Art & Flowers Betsy Campbell Lecture featured speaker is Matthew Ross, Executive Director of The Botanic Garden at Historic Barns Park in Traverse City, Michigan. Barns Park was a former asylum in the late 1800s. The park-like setting was a vision of a young psychiatrist, James Decker Munson, with a passion for horticulture. From its roots as a sanctuary at the turn of the century to its new life as a botanic garden, he will explore the plants and design of this 27-acre botanical garden that reflect the philosophy that Beauty is Therapy. With a strong emphasis on native plants and environmentally functional selection, the cultivation of the once abandoned Northern Michigan Asylum is a testament to the power of plants to build community and enrich lives. Click here for more information.

Location: Detroit Institute of Arts
5200 Woodward Ave.
Detroit, MI 48202
Register by phone:
313-833-7900

Registration: Admission is free, but advanced registration is required to reserve a seat. Click here to register.