Art in Bloom at the MAM

Spring can’t get here soon enough.

This was my thought as I braced myself against a cold wind traversing the long bridge that would take me to Windhover Hall and the Milwaukee Art Museum.  From the grand reception teeming with members at Thursday afternoon’s preview of Art in Bloom—the annual four-day show featuring garden vendors, speakers, and floral designs—it was apparent that everyone else had the same thought.  Many of them showed up at 10 a.m. to watch construction of the pieces and sit on antique railway benches, marveling at the Garland Alliance’s 36-foot and half-ton steel tower adorned with flowers, which complements the current Frank Lloyd Wright show rather nicely.

Inside the museum’s permanent collection, artgoers viewed 41 individual works from local flower luminaries such as Whitefish Bay Garden Club, Locker’s Florist, Bonnie White Flower Design, Adell’s Affair, Ambiance by Alka, Sendik’s on Downer, Muscari, Nicholas Carl Design, and Milaeger’s.  Each designer posted thoughts about the work of art they used as inspiration, using phrases like “fusion of color,” “quieting effect,” “curvilinear lines,” “embracing the surreal,” and “sheltering”.

You can catch a glimpse of what we saw at the museum in the slideshow below, or follow the link here to our flickr page.