The North Carolina Museum of Art presents several outdoor floral installations as part of its four-day festival of art and flowers Art in Bloom, taking place April 7−10. The floral displays include a recreation of a 16th-century Elizabethan garden, an interactive topiary sculpture, a student horticulture project, and a garden market stall.
“From the minute visitors arrive at the Museum, they will be immersed in a world of flowers, art, and color—both indoors and out,” says NCMA Art in Bloom organizer Laura Finan. “The Museum will truly be transformed into a garden wonderland, and I hope visitors enjoy exploring the beautiful floral masterpieces in the galleries and outside.”
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Elizabethan Garden Re-creation: Elizabethan Gardens of Manteo, N.C., will re-create a traditional 16th-century Elizabethan garden in the Museum’s Education Courtyard, using plants from the period in blues and whites. Artist Peggy Saporito will re-create a 16th-century watercolor map to be incorporated into the garden design.
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Interactive Topiary Hand: Atlantic Avenue Orchid & Garden will design a topiary hand inspired by artist Carl Milles’s Hand of God sculpture. The hand will be on view in the Museum’s Rodin Garden and will offer interactive opportunities for visitors.
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North Carolina State University (NCSU) Horticulture Department Project: NCSU horticulture students will plant specialty European alliums in the Museum Plaza around Henry Moore's Large Spindle Piece sculpture. The bulbs wintered in the university’s greenhouses and will be forced to bloom during Art in Bloom.
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BLOOM Installation: Museum Park volunteers will create the word BLOOM out of materials found in the Park, including bricks leftover from Polk Youth Prison and rocks from the Rodin Garden. One of the letters will be formed out of flowers provided by Wilde Oaks Nursery. The installation will be on view on the lawn in front of the Museum’s West Building.
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Monet-inspired Design: Patio and Hearth Shop will create a Monet-inspired floral design in the Museum’s West Building mirrored entryway. The design will be displayed in urns lining the entryway.
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Magnolia Installation in Reflecting Pool: Weston Farms, a magnolia farm in Garner, N.C., will install a magnolia and wheatgrass display in the Museum’s reflecting pool that mirrors the colors of the Museum Park.
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Bonsai Tree Display: Triangle Bonsai Society participates in Art in Bloom for the second year and will design a bonsai display in the Museum’s North Courtyard.
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NCMA Volunteer Floral Designs: The Museum Park volunteers will use greenery from the NCMA grounds and flowers from local wholesaler JAGG Classic to create floral displays in urns alongside the Museum’s West Building.
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North Carolina Flower Farmers: North Carolina florist Pine State Flowers and flower farmers Sassafras Fork Farm and Bluebird Meadows are working together to create a design using local sustainable flowers and plants. The display will be located in the West Building entryway adjacent to the Plaza.
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Bloom Market: During the four days of Art in Bloom, visitors can purchase waterlilies and plants from the Museum’s ponds; succulents from Raleigh’s Zen Succulent; and orchids and flower bouquets from an outdoor Bloom Market. The market, located near West Building’s entryway, will be open each day from 10 am to 5 pm or until all flowers are purchased.
The 10 outdoor floral displays are in addition to the 56 designs on view in the Museum’s West Building. The indoor arrangements are inspired by the NCMA’s permanent collection and created by floral designers from across the state and beyond.
During the four days of Art in Bloom, tickets will be required for admission to the permanent collection in the Museum’s West Building. East Building and the Museum Park—including the outdoor displays—will remain open and free to visitors.
Proceeds from Art in Bloom support Museum programming and exhibitions and benefit the NCMA Foundation. The presenting sponsor of Art in Bloom is PNC Bank.