New Burning Man exhibit opens in Richmond

It's here: The world premiere of "Incanto: An Oasis of Lyrical Sculpture," the sculpture and poetry exhibition from Burning Man artists, is Saturday at Lewis Ginter Botanical Gardens.

Why it matters: Sculptures like these are usually only exhibited in major cities — or in a Nevada desert during Burning Man, the weeklong art festival that always includes the burning of a wooden sculpture of "the man."

• The one-of-a-kind works were designed for Lewis Ginter.

What's happening: New York-based sculptor Kate Raudenbush created five large-scale, mixed-metal sculptures that will be on view at the garden through October 29.

• Raudenbush's pieces are accompanied by poetry from Sha Michele, a fellow Burning Man artist.

The sculptures, some of which stand up to 17 feet tall, each include a poem available through an audio tour and prompts that encourage visitors to consider their connection to the natural world.

• The sculptures were also designed for specific sites within the garden and are lit at night to create a "multi-sensory" experience.

The exhibition has been in the works since before the pandemic. The garden wanted to do an exhibition that would appeal to a diverse audience, and its former exhibition coordinator thought of Raudenbush, whom she met at Burning Man, Beth Monroe, Lewis Ginter's marketing director, told Axios.

• "As you can tell from the sculptures’ descriptions on the website, this exhibit is really about personal journeys, connections and the importance of nature," she said.

Details: Lewis Ginter is open daily from 9am to 5pm, but will stay open until 9pm Wednesday through Saturday during the Incanto run.

• Adult admission is $17, and $8 for kids ages 3-12. The garden participates in Museums for All, which makes admission $1 for SNAP recipients.