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OPEN HOURS
Horticulture Center: Mon-Sat, 9 am–4:30 pm; 
Sun, noon– 4:30 pm
Historic House: Wed-Sun, noon–4:30 pm

The art displayed is for sale and supports the preservation of the Historic House and the implementation of arts and interpretive exhibits at Green Spring Gardens. The FROGS Arts Committee manages year-round exhibits at the Horticulture Center and Historic House. Each group or artist displays for 8 weeks. 

We are currently booked through 2026. We are accepting indications of interest for 2027. Green Spring does not charge artists a fee to exhibit; however, a 30% minimum commission is required on all sold works. Artworks must be for sale. Artworks must be original works based on horticultural themes, fauna and nature, regional nature landscapes, or landscapes, buildings, and monuments of local historic interest.

 

A Survey of Interest and Date Availability will be emailed to all artists/groups who have expressed an interest in a 2027 show in February 2026. All returned Survey of Interest and Date Availability applications will be reviewed in March 2026 to determine which artists or groups will best fit our show dates and space availability for 2027. We will offer contracts to these artists and groups. Please note: There are often more applications than show slots, and we cannot guarantee anyone /any group a show in 2027, but we will make our best effort to fit artists into a future year.  For further information or if you are interested in exhibiting at Green Spring, please email the Art in the Garden coordinator at  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

 

Art in the Garden has roots in the Historic House, occupied by the Arts Council of Fairfax County prior to 1990. When the Council left, there were not enough employees to keep the house open, and then-Park Authority Board member Dorothy Norpel asked the Park Manager if she could run it, staffing it with volunteers. “She said, ‘yes!’ and gave me the key", Ms. Norpel said.

 

The Arts Council had installed track lighting, so she decided to start her own art program, named “Art in the Garden,” displaying mostly art of flora, fauna, and nature, in keeping with the park’s mission. “We were not very good in the beginning,” she said, “but got better and better over time.” Other organizations, such as the National Arboretum, contacted her to ask for advice on starting their own program.

 

Ms. Norpel wanted a gift shop; with no funds to buy anything for the shop, garden clubs provided items for sale, sold on commission. This continued until 1994, when the Historic House was condemned and closed, until, at Ms. Norpel’s urging, county funds were identified to repair. The new Horticulture Center was built and was dedicated, along with the re-dedication of the Historic House, in 1995.