The Third Annual Art in Bloom, The Gallery at Flat Rock’s artistic pairing of 20 jury-selected art pieces with floral arrangements, will be held Saturday, May 26, through Monday, May 28, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day. A preview reception will be held Friday, May 25, from 5–8 p.m. Admission to the reception is $25, with proceeds benefiting the Henderson County public school art programs. Art in Bloom is free and open to the public and all artwork is available for purchase.
Participating floral designers are members of the Blue Ridge Chapter of the Ikenobo Ikebana Society and professional free form floral designers. “Art in Bloom celebrates the floral artist and his or her ability to express the emotion of seeing a piece of art for the first time,” says gallery owner Suzanne Camarata Ball. “They interpret what we may instinctually feel about an artist’s work. It’s a dynamic combination.”
One of her favorite combinations from last year was Blown Away, a photograph of a father and daughter by Sharon Lee, who has since died of cancer, and its interpretation by Beth Hohensee of Studio Flora Diva in Asheville. “What viewers responded to with this interpretation is how Beth captured the energy of the photograph,” Camarata Ball says. Upright sticks in the arrangement represented the stability of the father while curved pieces suggested a heart. The color yellow in the arrangement was representative of youth, innocence and life.
New to the event this year are artistic floral demonstrations from 11 a.m. to noon on each of the three days of the exhibition at Saint Paul Mountain Vineyard’s new wine tasting room near the gallery. Coffee and mimosas will be served. There will also be a display of student art from area high schools.
“The Hendersonville art teachers are given a small budget to use for discretionary funds,” Camarata Ball says. “Our art teachers in the area are phenomenal and, locally, a few organizations do what they can to provide supplies.”
The Gallery at Flat Rock is located at 2702-A Greenville Highway in Flat Rock. Regular gallery hours are Tuesday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sundays, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., and by appointment. To learn more, visit galleryflatrock.com or call 828.698.7000.
