CARDIFF, WALES.- The National Museum & Gallery, Cardiff presents "Passion for Plants: Botanical Illustrations by Female Artists," on view through January 5, 2003. An exhibition of the work of women botanical artists from the seventeenth century through to the twenty-first century that explores the significant contribution women have made to the science of botany. The earliest female botanical artists were largely ignored, existing on the margins of the scientific world. During the Victorian era their role and significant achievements began to gain recognition. Rarely seen work by artists such as Maria Sibylla Merian, Elizabeth Blackwell, A.M. Hussey and Jane Loudon will be on display alongside contemporary Welsh artists, Gillian Griffiths and Rebecca John. In a field once dominated by men, botanical illustration and the important role of its leading female artists will be celebrated in this intriguing exhibition.