'DayDream' Summer Exhibition Will Feature Salvador Dalí, Annie Leibovitz, Yoko Ono, Jamie Wyeth, and More

This summer, Berkshire Botanical Garden will transform into a haven for artistic reverie with "DayDream," a new exhibition featuring works by some of the most renowned names in contemporary and modern art. DayDream will run from June 6 through Aug. 11, in BBG’s Leonhardt Galleries, inviting visitors to escape the everyday and immerse themselves in the boundless possibilities of the imagination.

The exhibition’s lineup includes legendary figures such as Salvador Dalí, Annie Leibovitz, Yoko Ono, and Jamie Wyeth, alongside a diverse array of contemporary artists like Roz Chast, Will Cotton, Ellsworth Kelly, and Kenny Scharf. Spanning painting, photography, sculpture, and mixed media, DayDream promises to be a stunning and thought-provoking journey into the artistic subconscious.

A Curator Who Defies Routine

At the helm of the exhibition is James Salomon, a seasoned curator with a multifaceted career spanning gallery ownership, writing, architecture, and film. 

“In a world that demands your focus, I invite you to the Garden and daydream,” said Salomon. “That’s the mantra that pushes this exhibition along.”

Currently serving as director of design projects at Achille Salvagni Atelier, which has showrooms in Rome, London, and New York, Salomon’s journey began in Paris in the 1990s as an intern for Galerie Maeght. He later moved to New York, spending a decade working with renowned gallerist Mary Boone before launching his own ventures, including Salomon Contemporary Warehouse in East Hampton, N.Y.

This is not Salomon’s first collaboration with Berkshire Botanical Garden. In 2018, he curated Beautiful Strangers, an exhibition inspired by a Kevin Morby song, which featured a striking collection of outdoor contemporary installations. This time, the vision for DayDream was sparked while Salomon was driving, listening to “Daydream” by The Lovin’ Spoonful. 

“Aha! I knew right away that was the vibe,” he recalled.

A Show Steeped in Imagination

With its playful and unexpected approach, "DayDream" will allow visitors to lose themselves in the artists’ own visions of reverie and whimsy. Salomon has taken an unconventional approach to the exhibition’s catalogue, asking each participating artist to share a personal “daydream.” The responses, he hints, have been unexpectedly revealing and rich in storytelling.

“They are really leaning into this assignment,” he said.

A Celebration of Art in the Berkshires

BBG Trustee Chair Matt Larkin and Trustee Joanne Cassullo have been instrumental in bringing "DayDream" to life, championing the exhibition as a highlight of the region’s cultural calendar. Their enthusiasm, combined with Salomon’s visionary curation, promises an unforgettable experience for visitors this summer.

“I just love Joanne and Matt and am happy to produce this for them and the Berkshire community,” said Salomon. “It will be a fun summer show, full of surprises.”

With a roster of artists spanning multiple generations and disciplines, DayDream is poised to be one of the most dynamic exhibitions of the season. 

The artists are: Jose Alvarez, Alice Aycock, Dozier Bell, Ross Bleckner, William Binnie, Roz Chast, Donna Cooper, Will Cotton, Salvador Dalí, EV Day, Peter Dayton, Marc Dennis, Joel Gaitan, John Gauld, Peter Gerakaris, Ann Getsinger, April Gornik, Isca Greenfield-Sanders, Jane Hammond, Rachel Hovnanian, Ellsworth Kelly, Jerome Lagarrigue, Annie Leibovitz, Peter Lindbergh, Nancy Lorenz, Maynard Monrow, Michele Oka Doner, Yoko Ono, Cate Pasquarelli, Richard Pasquarelli, Kenny Scharf, Hunt Slonem, Kim Swift, Anastasia Traina, Vadis Turner, Tuan Vu, Cynthia Wick, Jamie Wyeth, Rob Wynne, Darius Yektai, and Rachel Youn.

Coinciding with "DayDream" is renowned sculptor Mark Mennin’s Outdoor Exhibit, “Sleepwalkers.” Mennin, who specializes in granite, will contribute stone benches from which visitors will be invited to daydream. His work was featured in BBG’s 2018 exhibition, "Beautiful Strangers: Artists Discover the Garden." His monumental stone carvings often explore themes of human form, nature, and abstraction. His work typically features large-scale pieces carved from granite, marble, and other dense stones. Mennin’s sculptures balance a sense of raw, natural materiality with finely honed, smooth surfaces that highlight his mastery of technique.

This summer, Berkshire Botanical Garden’s Leonhardt Galleries are open seven days a week, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.