Some of nature’s finest artworks appear alongside those created by humanity this weekend at the Saint Louis Art Museum. During the 18th edition of Art in Bloom, local floral designers will create masterworks responding to particular pieces from the museum’s collection. The event runs from Friday through Sunday.
“People don’t always know quite what to expect,” says Amanda Thompson Rundahl, director of learning and engagement at the museum. “It’s an opportunity for people to discover or rediscover works of art, to highlight things that are new to the museum or new on view.”
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Floral designers might take a literal approach, attempting to re-create a sculpture or painting in pistil-and-stamen form. They might respond to a color or a feeling evoked by the work to which they’ve been assigned. They could be working with a tiny, often-overlooked artwork or something at a massive scale.
“It’s that exciting, creative thing that happens when one kind of artist responds to another,” Thompson Rundahl says.
There are 30 interpreted works scattered throughout the museum—even if you’re a regular, finding them all will probably lead you to some places you haven’t been in a while, or at all.
This year’s featured speaker is Doan Ly, a floral designer and photographer, as well as the founder and artistic director of a.p. bio in New York City. “It’s kind of the basis of Art in Bloom,” Thompson Rundahl says of Ly’s multiple art forms. (read more about Ly here.) Ly will give a lecture and sign copies of her 2023 book, Still Life (featuring photographs of her floral designs), on Saturday at 2 p.m. (This is a ticketed event.) She’s also creating Forsythia Fields, an installation in Sculpture Hall.
“Another really special opportunity that was new last year is Flowers After Hours,” says Thompson Rundahl. “That’s on Saturday evening. It’s an opportunity to see the flowers without the crowds—date night, girls’ night—you get to come to the museum when it’s normally closed.” Flowers After Hours, from 6–9 p.m., is also a ticketed event.
Both Friday and Sunday are particularly family-friendly days. On Friday from 10 a.m.–1 pm., kids ages 2–6 and their caregivers can drop in for Toddler and Me: Drop-In Pollinator Activities with hands-on art-making. Family Florals on Sunday from noon–4 p.m. includes a scavenger hunt and art activities.
The event will draw crowds, so consider parking near the Dennis & Judith Jones Visitor and Education Center in Forest Park and taking a shuttle to the museum.
