A walk through Royal Botanical Gardens will take on a different feel this summer, as art and nature begin to overlap in unexpected ways.
Starting June 20, 2026, the gardens will host ANCHORBALL: A Curious Art Journey, the first Canadian exhibition by artist Ken Kelleher. Running until September 20, the show coincides with RBG’s 85th anniversary and is being described as its largest exhibition to date.
Spread across the landscape are 18 large-scale sculptures, some reaching up to 12 feet tall. The works introduce a cast of bold, character-driven pieces, including the Venus Floralis series, which blends human forms with botanical elements, and figures like Willy, Winky, Bunni B, and Quantum Leap, each standing around 8 feet tall. Larger floral sculptures, such as Mystifloria and Kung Pao, extend the garden’s natural shapes into exaggerated, almost surreal forms.
Kung Pao – 12′ Tall/Credit: RBG
But not everything is immediately visible. Visitors can also access an augmented reality layer using their phones, revealing five hidden “Cloudwalkers” placed throughout the grounds. Finding all of them unlocks a final digital artwork, adding another dimension to the experience.
Stan Cho, Ontario’s Minister of Tourism, Culture and Gaming, points to the mix of physical and digital elements as part of what makes the exhibition stand out, describing it as interactive and accessible for a wide audience.
The setting itself plays a role. The exhibition unfolds within the gardens’ sustainable Rose Garden, where curated pathways, a central fountain, and tree-lined views frame the installations.
Rose Garden/ Credit: RBG
For Kelleher, the scale of the show and its location stand out. He describes the installation as one of his largest, noting that the characters feel at home among the garden’s landscape.
ANCHORBALL: A Curious Art Journey
What: Outdoor exhibition features 18 large-scale monumental works, reaching up to 12 feet tall, alongside an integrated augmented reality experience embedded throughout the garden, bringing together physical and digital elements within a beautiful natural setting.
Highlights:
- The Venus Floralis series, up to 8 feet tall, combines human form with botanical elements in a series of surreal sculptural portraits.
- The Main Characters, Willy, Winky, Bunni B, and Quantum Leap, each approximately 8 feet tall, are bold, animated, and expressive, with its own personality and story.
- The Florals series includes floral sculptures up to 12 feet tall, such as Mystifloria, Kung Pao, and others, extending the forms of the surrounding garden at an exaggerated scale.
When: June 20 – September 20, 2026
Where: Hendrie Park – Royal Botanical Gardens, 680 Plains Rd. W. Burlington ON
How Much: Regular Admission – $11.50 to $24.50 +fees