NEW YORK - s4story -- The Garden Club of America announced the recipients of its 2026 national medals, the highest honor bestowed upon individuals and organizations by the GCA for distinguished achievements in areas related to its purpose. With a long-standing tradition of celebrating extraordinary efforts to protect and beautify the planet, The Garden Club of America will present the medals at its 113^th annual meeting in April 2026 in New York City.

The Eloise Payne Luquer Medal is awarded for special achievement in the field of botany that may include medical research, the fine arts, or education. The interpretation of the award is to be elastic and imaginative.

The medal will be presented to the American Society of Botanical Artists for employing exceptional creativity and skill in the portrayal of the characteristics of plants and inspiring connections to nature through beauty.

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Eloise Payne Luquer (1862–1947) was a founder of the Bedford Garden Club, GCA Conservation Committee chair (1929–36), and 1936 recipient of the GCA's Achievement Medal. Eloise was a botanist, naturalist, lecturer, and botanical artist who painted native American wildflowers. Her wide-ranging interests encompassed work with the District Nursing Association of Northwestern Westchester County, the establishment of the Trailside Nature Museum and nature trails at the Ward Pound Ridge Reservation, and teaching gardening at the New York State Reformatory for Women at Bedford Hills. The medal was designed in 1949 by sculptor Chester Beach and endowed by Bedford Garden Club in memory of their distinguished member.

Founded in 1913, the GCA is a nonpartisan, issue-oriented advocate for a beautiful, healthy planet. It is a nonprofit national organization recognized for its leadership in horticulture, conservation, creative arts, historic preservation, and environmental protection. Its mission is to bring its 199 member clubs together to cultivate a bond among people, plants, and the environment. The GCA member clubs consist of 18,000 club members who devote energy and expertise to projects in their communities and across the United States.
www.asba-art.org