Art in Bloom returns to The Gallery at Flat Rock for its tenth year over Labor Day weekend, offering visitors an immersive experience that combines fine art with fresh floral design. The exhibition opens with a ticketed Preview Reception from 5—7 p.m. on Friday, August 29, followed by general admission hours on Saturday, August 30, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday, August 31, from 12—5 p.m.
This annual event invites twenty floral designers to interpret twenty selected works of art, creating a side-by-side display that fuses natural and artistic beauty. Among the returning designers are Kay Campbell and Brenda Rosbrook, known as The Shady Ladies of Raymond’s Garden Center. Their collaborative approach plays a central role in the creative process. “We spend weeks brainstorming and narrowing our focus,” says Campbell. “As the event grows closer we get together after work (in our secret lair) and create mock-ups. This allows us to test for floral endurance and ensure that our vision is a true interpretation of the art piece.”
Marcie Musgrove, artist. Floral design by Emiko Suzuki
Rather than meeting with the artists beforehand, Campbell and Rosbrook prefer to design in response to the artwork itself. “We love the challenge of creating a design that we think captures the essence of the art,” Campbell says. “It is so much fun when we finally get to see both pieces together with the artist.”
They also point to the unique challenges and rewards of participating in Art in Bloom. “Creating a floral design to interpret an art piece is certainly challenging,” says Rosbrook. “We are working with ephemeral objects like flowers and foliage. There can also be quite a bit of engineering involved. This event certainly makes us think outside the box and pushes us to our creative boundaries. This is the most unique art exhibition in our area and shines a light on the talent in our community. It makes you look at both the artwork and the floral piece as two halves of a whole.”
For fine artist AnnMarie LeBlanc, who participated in Art in Bloom last year and serves as this year’s judge, the exhibition offers something truly distinctive. “This time of year, The Gallery at Flat Rock comes alive with pairings of contemporary art and imaginative, botanical displays,” says LeBlanc. “It is a magical experience from the moment you walk in the gallery doors—a can’t-miss event attracting viewers from our region and beyond.”
LeBlanc will evaluate entries based on originality, skill and conceptual strength. “I will be looking for elements inherent in each piece—originality, technical skill, conceptual qualities, works that are visually striking,” she says. “At some point, it will be important to keep in mind that the selected works will hang together as one exhibition.”
The Gallery expects hundreds of guests to attend again this year, with the public invited to vote for their favorite pairing. The winning artist and floral designer will each receive a cash award. “It is an experience for the senses as well as the intellect in that it provides a way to look at works of art in a new way—encouraging a deeper experience of both art forms,” says LeBlanc.
The Gallery at Flat Rock is located at 2702-A Greenville Highway, Flat Rock. Purchase tickets to the Preview Reception and learn more at
GalleryFlatRock.com.
