The School of Botanical Art & Illustration: Planting the Seeds of Creativity

Did you know Denver Botanic Gardens has an art school? For 45 years, the School of Botanical Art & Illustration has taught students looking to hone their skills in depicting the natural world, whether for science or just for fun. Students can dabble in the School’s classes for all skill levels or pursue a botanical illustration certificate.

If you’ve never heard of it before, you might be wondering what botanical illustration is. It’s the practice of portraying plants and the natural world for scientific purposes. Even in the age of AI and high-resolution digital photography, botanical illustrations are valuable to scientists for their ability to accurately portray information about complex plant structures.  

The School of Botanical Art & Illustration offers classes for aspiring botanical artists, but that’s not all—there are also many other art classes available, from printmaking and collage to paper marbling and moss art. Browse the new course catalog for more inspiration.  

Explore works by the latest crop of graduates from the School of Botanical Art & Illustration’s certificate program in a special pop-up exhibition on the Ming Bridge, near the Freyer – Newman Center galleries, through February 8, 2026.