Stony Brook Garden Club

Lynn DeClemente Losavio, the Collection Manager at The Seward Johnson Atelier, Inc, at the Grounds for Sculpture, will speak on the life and work of the Johnson family, both at GFS and elsewhere. Her talk will focus on the family’s passions, their belief in the spirit of innovation and the power of community, as well as Seward Johnson’s profound influence on the art world.
Lynn has a Bachelor of Fine Arts from The College of New Jersey and a Master of Fine Art from the California College of the Arts. She has been the Collection Manager at The Seward Johnson Atelier since 2015. She lives in Pennington, New Jersey.

Tish Streeten was born and grew up in Oxford, England. She studied agricultural botany at the University College of North Wales. For the next ten years she worked throughout Europe and America as an organic farmer, gardener, fruit picker and herbalist. In 1982 Tish came to New York to make documentary films, studying for one year at New York University with George Stoney and Brian Winston. Here she made her first film, 'Community Dig', a short documentary about an archaeological excavation in Greenwich Village, which aired on public television.
Tish was researcher and co-producer of 'Sangoma', a film for Canadian television about traditional healers in South Africa. A few years ago Tish worked on the highly acclaimed television series, 'Healing and the Mind' with Bill Moyers. She is producing two series - one called 'Green Witches', on women herbalists and traditional healers world wide; and another, 'Trees That Heal', about medicinal trees world wide. Juliette of the Herbs (1998) was Tish's first feature length documentary.
Tish formed her production company, Mabinogion Films, to produce and distribute documentaries on women, the environment and the cultural traditions of the world. She produces, directs, writes, edits and records sound for her films.

Jacinda Martinez is an artist, photographer. wwoofer, gardener, garden designer, entrepreneur and fashion designer. A native of Brooklyn, Jacinda has lived in Maine for the past decade and last spoke to us in April 2018 about her farm work and Fashion in the Raw projects. Today we will learn about The Drifter’s Garden, a planting plan that has movement and fluidity, thus the word drift, though inter planting biannual and perennials and allowing seeds to fall where they may. Jacinda will show us actual type of edible, colorful plants to be used and various uses for their seeds.

“ I came into photography in a very simple manner. I found my father’s old Brownie camera when I was 8. I haven’t put down a camera since. My mother always promoted any artistic endeavor I took to while growing up, but for college I needed to pick a ‘real’ career. No art studies for me. I went to work in the video industry, all the while taking photos. I was the family photographer at weddings, birthdays and baptisms. Fast-forward to mid -2005. I had made up my mind to become a ‘photographer’. I had a 3-5 year plan to leave my day job. In 2007, the decision was made for me. I was laid off. I took some time to think about it. I discussed it with my family, and took the plunge. I ‘became’ a photographer. I always was one, but it was the first time I had used the word ‘photographer’ to describe what I did for a living. It’s something I’ve wanted to do all my life. I now photograph both nature and people to celebrate the wonder inherent in both. I am now living my unlived life.”

Joy will explain the definitions of both close-up and macro photography and then outline how they differ. She will provide advice and technical instruction on how best to approach both close-up and macro and use examples of her own work to illustrate the presentation.

Lela Rose, originally from Texas, is the New York City-based, American fashion designer widely regarded for her elegant aesthetic and fresh point of view. Formally trained as a painter and sculptor prior to pursuing fashion design, Lela regularly employs a brilliant use of color, rich fabrications, sculptural silhouettes and natural inspirations. Lela released her first book, Prêt-à-Party, in 2015, which focuses on merging her love of style and entertaining which she will be talking to us about today.

“I’m here to share the passion that has brought me endless fulfillment in my life. I teach to share the art of floral design and to help you create work that stokes wonder, curiosity, and pause.”

A native of Ann Arbor, Michigan, Susan McLean is a writer, educator, photographer, environmentalist and creative floral designer. She has won numerous awards and attention for her “Wearable Flowers” line and her large-scale sustainable floral installations. Susan earned her certification through the Michigan Floral Association, AIFD, and studied with numerous internationally recognized instructors.

A life-long gardener and environmentalist, Jennifer Jewell is the creator, writer and host of the podcast Cultivating Place: Conversations on Natural History and the Human Impulse to Garden, airing on North State Public Radio in California. She learned the diversity and interconnectedness of all life from her wildlife biologist father and her gardening, composting mother. After graduating Harvard University and embarking on a career in publishing, Jennifer turned her focus to writing, speaking and advocating for the importance of gardens/gardening/gardeners in our world. Jennifer will talk to us today about her latest book, The Earth in Her Hands: 75 Extraordinary Women Working in the World of Plants.