Grand-Métis, Canada, 2017-10-19 - 

The International Garden Festival, presented at the Jardins de Métis / Reford Gardens in the Gaspésie region of Québec, Canada is preparing its 19^th edition and is issuing an international call for proposals to select designers who will create the new temporary gardens that will be presented from June 22, 2018.

 

Playsages II – Go Outside and Play!

Advances in technology have taken play indoors and interiorized play to the point that games happen in a virtual world with friends who are connected but not connecting. Not only is there a nature deficit disorder, but also a nature knowledge deficit. Our isolation from the world outside deprives us of marvelling at the beauty of natural cycles. The Festival has always promoted the creation and curation of interactive spaces. The 2017 edition of the Festival exhibited six new installations on the theme of Playsages to the delight of nearly 10,000 children who came with their families, day camps and school groups – and enjoyed moments of joy, discovery and multiple opportunities to play.

 

The Festival is continuing its exploration of play with Playsages II – Go Outside and Play! and invites designers to imagine magical spaces where families will congregate and play together. This is an opportunity to play with our sense, create playgrounds that bring pleasure to all ages and orchestrate transformational spaces that offer visitors an opportunity to connect with nature.

 

This call for proposals is open to all landscape architects, architects, artists and multidisciplinary teams from Canada and abroad. For complete information on this call for proposals, those interested should consult the web site: www.projects.internationalgardenfestival.ca.

 

The deadline for the submission of entries is MONDAY DECEMBER 4, 2017 at 5 pm EST.

 

About the International Garden Festival

The International Garden Festival is recognized as one of the most important events of its kind in North America and one of the leading annual garden festivals in the world. Since 2000, more than one million visitors have discovered over 175 contemporary and ephemeral gardens created by designers from 15 countries. This artistic and tourism event also gives visitors a chance to discover inspiring spaces bringing together the visual arts, architecture, design, landscape and the environment. The Festival is an annual rendez-vous for admirers of contemporary gardens and design as well as offering a unique creative space for those involved in the renewal of this art form. The Festival also presents La Grande Table, a culinary happening bringing together chefs and agricultural producers from the region to share their wealth of expertise with the public and foster creative avenues for culinary cooperation.

 

About Les Jardins de Métis / Reford Gardens

Les Jardins de Métis / Reford Gardens are located on the shores of the St. Lawrence and Mitis rivers in Québec, Canada. Created from 1926 to 1958 by avid gardener and plant collector, Elsie Reford, the gardens are a national historic site designated. Les Jardins de Métis are considered one of the premier gardens in North America. They are an obligatory stop for all those visiting eastern Québec and the Gaspésie region. Hydro-Québec has been a major partner of the Reford Gardens since 1999. Visit the www.refordgardens.com for more details.