A new outdoor art exhibit featuring 18 whimsical sculptures inspired by the Japanese art of paper folding is making its Texas debut at the Fort Worth Botanic Garden. Called “FLORIGAMIINTHEGARDEN” (that's "Florigami in the Garden"), the showcase will open at the FWBG on August 19 and run for six months, through February 14.

The pieces, ranging from petite works of just a few feet to towering structures more than 30 feet tall, will be placed throughout the FWBG. They will (appropriately) "fold" into the landscape - from Pollinator Pathway to the Rose Garden - and will depict animals, flowers, and a variety of geometric shapes.

“FLORIGAMIINTHEGARDEN brings art, Japanese culture, and nature together to create emotional souvenirs for the entire family,” says FWBG president and CEO Patrick Newman in a release. “Children will especially appreciate the emerging butterflies, big birds, grazing deer and blooming flowers – all of which celebrate the process of plant pollination, an educational concept we highlight on our campus Pollinator Pathway and in our family education courses."

The exhibition, being brought to Fort Worth by an anonymous donor, will coincide with the 50th anniversary of the FWBG's beloved Japanese Garden, Newman says.

The show was created by Santa Fe artists Jennifer and Kevin Box. According to the artists' website, "FLORIGAMI" is the newest traveling exhibition within their larger concept, "Origami in the Garden." It's never before come to Texas.

The show is meant to present a fresh look at paper folding in the 21st century, they say, using large-scale, origami-inspired metal sculptures. Modern masters of paper folding helped create the colorful, whimsical, kinetic sculptures, including Robert J. Lang, Michael G. LaFosse, and Beth Johnson. Kevin Box's studio then transformed them into large-scale metal structures to be displayed in public gardens.

“Origami presents a simple life metaphor: We begin with a blank page, what we do with it is up to us and the possibilities are endless,” says Kevin Box in the release.

A gallery of FLORIGAMI pieces can be found here. According to the release, one of the Fort Worth highlights will be Scents of Gratitude, a colorful bouquet of kinetic, gently turning flowers, which will tower 30 feet over the Rose Garden.

Featuring 77 origami-inspired flower components - as well as a butterfly and crane - the sculpture took Box a year to create. The artist calls it a “firework of celebration and joy,” adding, “It was the biggest expression of gratitude, in every sense of the word, that I could manifest from my heart.”

FLORIGAMIINTHEGARDEN will be included with the price of general admission. A special summer “buy one, get one admission” discount is being offered through August 31. Also currently on sale are tickets to Lightscape, the holiday event returning to FWBG for a second year.

For more information, visit fwbg.org/florigami