On the heels of its locally-beloved and nationally-recognized Dallas Blooms spring festival, the Dallas Arboretum is set to debut Bunnies, Birds & Butterflies. The large-scale exhibition featuring massive art pieces by renowned artists, Hunt Slonem, opens to the public this April.
Going on display from April 20 – September 30, 2026, the adorably-named Bunnies, Birds & Butterflies exhibition comprises of 28 large-scale animal and insect installations throughout the arboretum. In addition, visitors will find 100 separate pieces placed about the garden along with a special gallery in the Historic Camp House.
“Hunt Slonem: Bunnies, Birds & Butterflies transforms the Dallas Arboretum into an immersive, open-air gallery. Throughout the garden, Slonem’s monumental sculptures emerge among the blooms, reimagining familiar pathways as moments of color, reflection, and movement”, the Dallas Arboretum website reads.
Hunt Slonem is a celebrated figure in contemporary neo-expressionism, best known for his use of color and deeply textured, gestural surfaces. His work frequently draws inspiration from the natural world, transforming subjects like tropical birds and butterflies into rhythmic, repetitive compositions.
His art is currently represented in more than 250 permanent museum collections around the world, including landmark institutions such as The Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Smithsonian American Art Museum, and The Whitney Museum of American Art.
Throughout Slonem’s Bunnies, Birds & Butterflies, the arboretum will host special Twilight Nights. Taking place Friday through Sunday from 6 – 9 pm from May 1 – September 27, the experience allows visitors to engage with the exhibition in evening hours where the fading daylight lends itself to a more “intimate and atmospheric view of the garden”.
Bunnies, Birds & Butterflies goes on display at the Dallas Arboretum from April 20 – September 30, 2026. Tickets are now available through its official website starting at $21.95 for adults and $19.95 for children (3 – 12).
