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 After
the conclusion of Thursday’s presentations at
Belmont Abbey College, the Michaux Celebration shifted to the Daniel
Stowe Botanical Garden for an evening of food, music and enjoying the
garden. René-Serge Marty, Consul General of France for the Southern
United States shown here with Andrea Moscatelli of Air France, was an
early arrival. Just as André Michaux himself would have done, many guests
took time to admire the garden in the cool air and soft light of early
evening.  Coming
inside the Robert Lee Stowe Pavilion for the food and festivities, attendees
were treated to a concert of 18th century music known to have been performed
in Paris during Michaux’s era. Dressed in period costumes and using
period instruments, the Carolina Pro Musica quickly put everyone
into the spirit of Michaux’s times with a polished recital.  Costumed
re-enactors among the crowd added to the 18th century spirit and some
attendees also chose to wear period costume while others remained in
modern attire.  Michaux
Celebration Chairman Charlie Williams, left, was among those who chose
18th century costume. Jean-Pierre Riviere, right, Director of the French-American
Chamber of Commerce of North Carolina, opted for modern dress.
André Michaux sent shipments of North American trees and seeds to King
Louis XVI’s forest at Rambouillet where they thrived and grew to great
size at maturity adding to the character and beauty of the forest and
grounds.  Rambouillet
resident, author and photographer Françoise Winieska, represented Gérard
Larcher, Mayor of Rambouillet, President of the Commission of Economic
Affairs of the Senate and Senator from Yvelines, the administrative
region of France where Rambouillet is located. On Senator Larcher’s
behalf, Mme. Winieska made presentations to several individuals who
had planned or assisted the André Michaux Celebration. Honorary Consul
of France for North Carolina, Millie Dalton Cox, accepted a gift as
Consul General Marty stood by.  She
had not only championed the 2002 Michaux Celebration, but had also taken
a role in the 1994 events at Grandfather Mountain commemorating Michaux’s
historic 1794 ascent of the mountain. That August day in 1994 will long
be remembered by Michaux admirers for the
ringing tribute to Michaux delivered by the late Charles Kuralt.
 Mike
Bush, Executive Director of the Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden received
a presentation. He had been one of the original proponents of the Michaux
Celebration. He was very pleased to receive recognition from France
for his efforts to remember and honor this intrepid French botanist
who had traveled through the future site of the Daniel Stowe Botanical
Gardens in 1795.  Mike
Baranski was also delighted to be recognized. Editor of Castanea,
the journal of the Southern
Appalachian Botanical Society (SABS) and a past president of SABS,
he served as Program Chairman of the André Michaux International Symposium.
Not pictured are presentations to Belmont Abbey College Vice President
for Academic Affairs, Dean de la Motte and Michaux Celebration Chairman,
Charlie Williams.
Many people from the community who could not attend the symposium
presentations attended the gala celebration.  Wayne
and Julia Shovelin, center, take great pride in the wild bigleaf magnolias
that grow in their yard. Michaux discovered the bigleaf magnolia in
Gaston County in 1789 and it served as the signature species of the
Michaux Celebration. Over 100 people took advantage of at least one
of the four field trips to wild bigleaf magnolia sites offered Friday,
Saturday and Sunday.
Guests also included individuals who made important behind the scenes
contributions. Michaux Celebration Coordinator Jeanne Miller is on the
right; she managed the thousand details that made the Michaux Celebration
a success.  On
the left is Martha Mayberry, Associate Curator for Prints and Drawings
of the Mint Museum of Charlotte. Her husband artist Richard Mayberry
is in the center. Martha Mayberry was Curator of the Mint Museum’s concurrent
exhibition: “Pierre J. Redouté, A Man Passionate About Flowers.” Redouté
illustrated Michaux’s scientific books as well as the books of many
other
scientists and soon achieved enduring fame painting flowers under the
patronage of the Empress Josephine.
  On
Friday evening, after the end of the presentations at Belmont Abbey
College, attendees enjoyed a dinner and an artist’s walk at the Daniel
Stowe Botanical Garden where they boarded a bus to the Mint Museum in
Charlotte for dessert and an opportunity to view the Redouté exhibit.
A portrait of the artist welcomed visitors to the long, narrow gallery.
 The
walls were hung with his framed individual paintings while  horizontal
display cases held books and an array of tools used to make stipple
engravings. A large folio edition of Redoute’s book The Lilies
in this display case sits open underneath Redoute originals painted
on vellum.
Ohio State University botanist Ronald L. Stuckey, was drawn to the
Michaux books on display.
An 1803 edition of André Michaux’s Flora
of North America and an 1817 edition of his son Francois André
Michaux’s North
American Sylva were open in a display case at the entrance to
the exhibit. The Sylva was open to the Redouté illustration of
the bigleaf magnolia and Francois André Michaux’s description of the
discovery of this species as he and his father made their way through
what is now Gaston County, NC in June of 1789.
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