Smith's Spring Bulb Show to Open with Lecture

In celebration of the forthcoming restoration and renovation of the Lyman Conservatory, Smith's annual spring bulb show will open at 7 p.m. on Friday, March 2, with a slide lecture by architect Bryan Irwin, titled "The Architecture of the Lyman Conservatory: Past, Present and Future." Irwin will also be presenting for the first time to the public the new conservatory design.

Irwin, who is an associate of Perry Dean Rogers & Partners, the architectural firm that will be renovating the conservatory, will discuss the development of the Smith College greenhouses and the issues involved in their restoration, as well as current trends in glasshouse design. The presentation is in Wright Hall Auditorium and will be followed by a reception and preview of the bulb show in the illuminated Lyman Conservatory.

A long-standing tradition at Smith College, this spectacular array of over 5,000 forced bulbs will be the last show at the Botanic Gardens until the conservatory renovations are completed in 2003.

The bulb show, which runs from Saturday, March 3, through Sunday, March 18, is open to the public daily from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and on Fridays, March 9 and 16, from 6 to 9 p.m. in the Lyman Conservatory on College Lane. It is free and wheelchair accessible, and parking is available on College Lane during the show. Groups of ten or more should schedule their visits in advance. For more information or to schedule a group visit, call (413) 585-2740.

Contact: Marti Hobbes, mhobbes@smith.edu

February 15, 2001