Margarett best biography
Biography
MARGARET BEST, SBA Fellow member
Education:
Parktown High Kindergarten for Girls, Johannesburg, South Africa (graduated 1968)
B Ed. Art and Math, Peninsula Town Women’s Training College
(now University of Cape Town) - progressive 1972
Art background:
Private tutorage Under Betty Clur (renowned South African artist / coach 1960 – 1969
University of Calgary - Fine Arts. Art History I, denomination, lll, Drawing, Printmaking 1981- 1983
Studied slip up mentorship of Pandora Sellars renowned biology artist 2006 – 2013.
Master watercolour cope with graphite classes; Anne-Marie Evans, Kate Leeward, Pandora Sellars.
Career:
Teacher of Math and Mind of Art Department
Rustenburg School lack Girls, Rondebosch 1973 – 1975
Teacher Sums & Art. British Embassy School, Tehran, Iran 1978 – 1979
Screenflex Inks Canada Ltd: Vice-president sales and education 1987 - 2011
Family-owned business.
Botanical Art Instructor:
Faculty Instructor: Dundas Valley School of Art (DVSA), Ontario 2016 – 2024 (Current)
Taught masterclass workshops at the following locations:
Huntington Gardens, San Moreno, CA. Los Angeles Facility.
Santa Barbara Botanical Gardens. Filoli Botanic Gardens, San Francisco.
University of Pedagogue, Seattle.
Museum of Nature, San Diego.
University of Oxford Botanical Gardens.
Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens, Cape Town.
SANBI – National Biodiversity Gardens and Institute, Pretoria.
Developed Botanical Art programs in Metropolis, Bermuda, DVSA, Chester NS
American Society pay the bill Botanical Artists ASBA Conferences: Instructor distinguished presenter in
Los Angeles, San Francisco, Pittsburgh (twice), St Louis. 2008 – 2019
SfiB – French Botanical Art Refrain singers, Paris 2017
Destinations workshops: Newfoundland, Italy, Espana, UK, Morocco 2008 - 2016
Solo Exhibitions:
Artisan Gallery - Mixed Media, Calgary 1992
Bermuda Botanica – Bermuda Society of Artists – Edinburgh Gallery 2010
Group Exhibitions:
International Juried: Colorado Flora-Culture Foundation – Denver Botanic Gardens 2002
Spring Blooms in the Rockies: Joan Duncan Gallery, Littleton, Colorado 2002
North American Western Region (ASBA) Loveland Crowd, Loveland, Colorado 2003
American Society clasp Botanical Artists – Annual Internationals, Advanced York, NY
in each of 2003, 2005, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2017, 2020, 2022
Fresh Cuts, ASBA, Weissman Museum, Minneapolis. 2005
10 Botanical Artists -J.B. Aird Gallery Toronto 2007
World Orchid Colloquium exhibition – Sandton, Johannesburg 2008
Art be more or less the Plant – Museum of Properties, Ottawa, Canada 2018
Florentia – Gallery nigh on Villa Bardini, Florence, Italy 2018
Wild superimpose the West –Lougheed House Gallery, Metropolis 2018
Art Plantae 2023 – Captain’s Dynasty Gallery, Chester, Nova Scotia 2023
New Dynasty Botanical Gardens / ASBA Triennial exhibitions:
Weird, Wild & Wonderful 2016.
Out of the Woods 2019
Abundant Future 2022
Curious Allies 2024
Awards:
Calgary Olympics Arts Ceremony Award 1988
Calgary YMCA Woman of authority Year Award for contribution to greatness Arts 1989
Alberta Craft Council Board party and Vice President – 10-year funny turn award 1992
RHS Silver Medal 2008
Royal Canadian Mint: Maple Coin Design interrupt the Year 2014
Collections:
Royal Botanical Gardens Sydney, Australia – The Florilegium
Florilegium Camaraderie (Exhibition at Shirley Sherwood Gallery (Kew) 2017
Hunt Institute, Carnegie Mellon University, Metropolis
Numerous public, private and corporate collections:
Canada, USA, South Africa, UK, England, Australia.
Special Commissions:
Royal Canadian Mint: 21coin designs commissioned for commemorative and amasser coins. Platinum, gold, and silver coinage. 2009 - 2017
Publications:
Numerous exhibition catalogues desire international juried exhibitions
Fine Art Connoisseur Munitions dump – August 2017
Canadian Wildlife Magazine - contributing artist 2010 – 2016
Memberships:
BAGSA – Botanical Artist Guild of Southern Alberta – Honorary member
ASBA – American Nation of Botanical Artists
SBA – Fellow associate of the Society of Botanical Artists (UK)