Artfully Arranged

Flowers have an expression of countenance as much as men or animals. Some seem to smile; some have a sad expression; some are pensive and diffident; others again are plain, honest, and up-right.

-- Henry Ward Beecher, "A Discourse of Flowers"

Uniting the power of art with the beauty of nature has been one of the pillars of Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art since its inception. Bringing nature indoors or guests out are common themes in the programming and artworks presented at the museum. Such is the case with the inaugural "Art in Bloom" weekend, where floral interpretations of art throughout the museum link the natural and the fabricated.

"I really hope when guests go through the galleries and view the arrangements that were created, they'll be able to see the artwork in a new way," says Moira Anderson, senior museum educator. "Hopefully they will leave with a new appreciation of the different parts of the artwork, but also it's kind of awe-inspiring to look at the artistry behind floral design, too."

Seven floral shops were invited to use live floral materials to create arrangements for the event, inspired by art in four of the galleries -- with one piece to greet guests in the main lobby. Chelsea Hermez is the owner of Pigmint in Fayetteville, one of the participating florists, and chose to work with one of her personal favorite pieces from the museum's permanent collection: Maxfield Parrish's "The Lantern Bearers."

"We are roughly re-creating the painting in florals -- getting as close to the actual painting as possible without getting literal," she says. "I think the hardest thing for us to pull off is this really dark moodiness to the painting, and that glow that evokes emotion. So we're going to do our best to try to bring some of that play with light and shadow into our arrangement as well."

Because the live flowers are perishable, the arrangements will be on display with their corresponding muse only through the weekend. Special programming expanding on the themes of flora and design will encourage guests to delve deeper into the ways in which the nature can influence one's relationship with art.

"A lot of these arrangements have these exquisite blooms and colors -- it's really calling upon the aesthetic beauty of both things," Anderson says. "That's really why a lot of museums around the country have 'Art in Bloom' programs because it is aesthetically a wonderful way to engage with the artwork and with things that naturally bloom in our world."

Designers from many of the creations will be on hand for a gallery talk this afternoon to discuss their inspirations, challenges and artistic visions with guests.

"I think florists, first and foremost, are artists," Hermez offers. "As in all art forms, with floral design, you're really only as good as your designers. I like to think I employ a really talented pool of people that are truly artists -- not just employees. This is a really great opportunity for us to get to do something different and for people to see just how creative our flower shop and other flower shops really are."

NAN What's Up on 03/10/2017