Kathleen Bitetti

Gardening Because Murder Is Wrong

For my second solo show at Gallery Kayafas, Gardening- Because Murder is Wrong, I have chosen to exhibit photographs, all taken on my I-Phone, of flora. The title of the exhibition is taken from a photograph included in the show which depicts my back stairs hallway that leads to my pollinator garden. Gardening, whether outdoors or indoors, is for me is a way to de-stress/de-rage and to enjoy the wonders of nature. The title of this show has become a catch phrase for many of my colleagues and close friends. We often share images of the plants we buy or plan to buy with each other. I also have found that when I share this phrase with others, particularly other women, a knowing smile and twinkle in their eyes is shared. And when the phrase is shared with those who are gardeners/are flora caregivers, they often impart a knowing laugh.

This show presents several bodies of work. There are excerpts from my 2023 Neighbors installation which also features new images that were not included in the 2023 version of the work. This piece focuses on images of pollinators in my garden and celebrates neighbors all kinds. I am also debuting two new bodies of work: Flowers for Clara and Welcome to Wonderland. Like my Neighbors installation, both of these bodies of work depict gardens of all sizes and/or flowers. Flowers for Clara highlights what other “gardeners” are growing as well as flowers that are growing on their own. This piece features a selection of flower images that I have texted as morning greetings to a beloved co-worker (I began this during the first days of the COVID pandemic and continue to do so). Much like Neighbors, this project celebrates relationships we have and grow with others. Welcome to Wonderland is also a new ongoing project that I started last summer. My garden, like Neighbors, is one of the key stars of this project. This body of work introduces the front steps of my apartment building as an additional garden that I tend to. This project is in the very beginning stages and I am hoping it will become a much larger installation work in the very near future. The figurines and objects used for this project are sourced mainly from woman-owned small businesses on Etsy.

The books that are on display for visitors to browse through are sourced from the Friends of the South Boston Public Library’s book sales and from More Than Words- a store/organization (and so much more) that is located just around the corner from the gallery. More Than Words supports the “most vulnerable youth in Greater Boston -those youth who are in the foster care system, court involved, homeless, and/or out of school. At More Than Words they earn a paying job, learning job skills while receiving focused support to ensure they persist in school and map plans for their future work, education and life.”

The cut flowers that are part of the exhibition are from the two florists I frequent: The family owned Stapleton Flowers in South Boston and Beacon Hill’s Rouvalis Flowers & Gardens which is located near my day job. The hanging wall planter’s flora is from South Boston’s MicroPlant Studio- a LGBTQ owned store and “the first Latinx owned and managed plant business in Massachusetts and in New England.”

Special thanks must be given to the following: Arlette Kayafas for all her help and support; Alina Balseiro for their help with installation & design of the card for my show; to Jackie Anderson and her team at ColorTek for printing the images for the show; to Marcella Sliney and Christine Coffee Kane, my neighbors who helped to transport my work to the gallery; and a special thank you to my Mom- who has always supported me and my dreams- no matter how outlandish they might be.