As the new growth of spring approaches steadily, the North Carolina Museum of Art is preparing for its inaugural Art in Bloom festival of art and flowers.
“I started calling other museums that have been producing the event for years like the MFA, Boston where Art in Bloom began almost 40 years ago,” said Laura Finan, the project manager of Art in Bloom at NCMA.
According to Finan, other museums were instrumental in getting the Art in Bloom event to NCMA.
“Milwaukee Art Museum and The Minneapolis Institute of the Arts were all extremely generous in sharing their process and helping us learn,” Finan said.
There are multiple events that will be held at the museum in the West Building between March 19 and March 22. According to Finan, there will be four master classes, each lasting two hours and offering personal, hands-on experience in flower arrangement and design. Two professionals, Hitomi Gilliam and Shane Connolly, will be teaching these small classes.
Gilliam has guest designed in North America, England, Japan, Mexico and a number of other countries. She is also a Teleflora education specialist and a monthly columnist for Flowers& magazine. In addition to the master class, Gilliam will be teaching a different class on ikebana, the Japanese art of flower arranging.
Connolly holds a Royal Warrant of Appointment to the Prince of Wales. He also designed the floral arrangements for Prince William and Kate Middleton’s wedding. Connolly will teach a class about how to keep flowers in one’s life and will hold a book signing for A Year in Flowers in the museum store immediately afterward.
Finan said there will be presentations in the auditorium by the American Institute of Floral Design, so the audience will be able to watch what the florists create and to observe their design methods.
“It’s a thing of beauty,” Finan said. “Our hope on the inside is for the florists to lend a different eye to how people view the permanent collection, and the individual works of art they interpret.”
According to Finan, Art in Bloom is the interpretation of art with flowers where the florist draws inspiration from the artwork’s colors, form and texture. With 45 flower displays, Art in Bloom will present the interpretations of various art pieces in the museum’s permanent collection.
“Art in Bloom will enhance the beauty of our permanent collection by bringing to life paintings and sculpture in every gallery of the West Building and by adding the beautiful fragrance of fresh flowers throughout,” Finan said.
The museum will still be operating under regular hours, but tickets to the West Building will cost $15. Visitors can enter the museum’s East Building and park free of charge. According to Finan, all funds gained from the Art in Bloom events will go toward the NCMA’s exhibitions.
“We are always looking for different ways to present exceptional art and create memorable experiences for our visitors, and Art in Bloom is the perfect opportunity,” said Lawrence J. Wheeler, the NCMA director.
It may seem that the flower arrangements would be vulnerable to damage, but this concern has been considered in the planning of Art in Bloom. According to Finan, the floral designs inside the building will be protected from bugs and pests. “Respect the work of art first,” Finan said.
“Personally, I’m excited for Art in Bloom because it’s something we’ve never done before, and I think our visitors will love the unique fusion of art and flowers,” said Emily Kowalski, a communications specialist at NCMA.
Finan said she hopes the NC State Department of Horticulture will be involved with Art in Bloom next year.
“We’ve spoken to the NC State horticultural department, and while the timing isn’t right for this year, we’d be excited if students will participate next year by building a design outside the West Building,” Finan said.
