Art in Bloom 2015, sponsored by The Margaret Acheson Stuart Society and the MFA, is a grand spring tradition and presents some of the most imaginative floral designs in the area. Nearly 60 floral designers will respond to artworks throughout the Museum. The exhibition opens to the public Friday, March 13, at 10 a.m. and continues through Monday, March 16. The Museum will open at 10 a.m. Sunday, an exception, and remain open until 8 p.m. that day and Monday.
Tony Todesco, the guest artist for the Art in Bloom Luncheon on Thursday, March 12, will create a floral masterpiece for the MFA’s Great Hall, on Friday, March 13, at 11 a.m., which is free with MFA admission. That arrangement will remain on view during Art in Bloom.
The MFA Café will serve a unique dish with a floral theme each day from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. The Café will be open on Monday—another exception—and the Museum Store will celebrate Art in Bloom with books, jewelry, cards, and more. Dedicated Stuart Society member and docent Tina Douglass is the overall coordinator. Floral designer Jeanne Houlton is organizing the installation of floral designs. Barbara DeMaire is the chair of sponsorships, and Gail Phares is President of The Stuart Society.
Admission to Art in Bloom includes Monet to Matisse—On the French Coast; Life’s a Beach, Photographs by Martin Parr; and African American Life and Family.Major artists represented in Monet to Matisse include Eug
ène Boudin,Claude Monet, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Pierre Bonnard, Henri Matisse, Pablo Picasso, Paul Signac, Max Beckmann, and the talented brothers Raoul and Jean Dufy. The vast majority of the paintings have never been seen before in Florida or the Southeast.
The exciting Art in Bloom 2015 schedule follows:
Thursday, March 12, 11:30 a.m.at theHilton St. Petersburg Bayfront: The luncheon celebrates Monet to Matisse, Art in Bloom, and the MFA’s golden anniversary with French cuisine, French flair, and French music. Guest of honor Tony Todesco is known internationally as a floral designer, lecturer, and instructor and has created large-scale designs for the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston and the Minneapolis Institute of Arts. He will share tips and secrets in his presentation, “Flower, Fun, and Fancy,” following the luncheon. Sidney BayneChaney and Pam Levitt are the chairs. Tickets are $75 each.
Friday, March 13: The exhibition opens to the public from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. and is the centerpiece of the “Flowers After Hours” party at 7 p.m. Artists’ Tables—a first for Art in Bloom—will feature food and botanical designs inspired by four paintings in the collection. Olympia Catering and Events will provide the sumptuous hors d’oeuvres and Bloom Garden Shop of Tampa, the plant-scapes. Cocktails, wine, and jazz will add to this unforgettable evening. Martha Buttner and Judy Holland are the chairs. Tickets are $85 each. To download the reservation form to the luncheon and “Flowers After Hours,” please visit www.thestuartsociety.org. Send forms and checks, made payable to The Stuart Society, to Glenn Mosby, 915 17th Avenue N.E., St. Petersburg, FL 33704. For more information, please contact Mrs. Mosby at gmsby@aol.com or 727.823.2579.
Saturday, March 14: The exhibition of floral designs continues from 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
Sunday, March 15, 10 a.m.-8 p.m.: This will be another 50th anniversary celebration. Have brunch in the MFA Café, admire the floral designs in Art Bloom 2015, and treat yourself to “Hot Gatherings, Cool Conversations” at noon and a Marly Music concert by the gifted young French guitarist Jérémy Jouve at 2 p.m. Join many of the designers in the galleries for “Conversations with the Designers” from noon-2 p.m. They will share their inspiration and approach and answer questions. This is an excellent opportunity to learn more about flowers, floral design, and art. Valet parking will be available.
Hiroshi Yamano and Naoko Takonouchi will present an overview of their glass art, inspired by nature, at noon, and two floral designers have responded to individual pieces for Art in Bloom. Mr. Yamano has been working in glass for over 25 years and has been inspired by the forms and movement of fish. His glass pieces have a fluid quality and depict meditative and solitary moments, surrounded by a universe in flux. He has studied widely and earned his MFA at the Rochester Institute of Technology.
Ms. Takonouchi has exhibited her work worldwide and was included in New Glass Review 16, Contemporary Glass: Color, Light & Form, as well as many other leading publications. Her current series, Migratory Birds, beautifully explores their mysterious and astonishing journeys. She completed her degree in design and glassblowing at Tama Art University in Tokyo.
Tickets for Jérémy Jouve’s concert are first-come, first-served, cost $20 for adults, $10 for students 22 and younger with current ID, and $15 for Marly Music Society members. They can be purchased online by going to www.fine-arts.org/rsvp. Admission to the entire Museum is included in the ticket price.
Mr. Jouve revealed his talent early. At age 10, he performed a Vivaldi concerto with the Orchestre de Chambéry. He went on to win first prize in the Tychy International Guitar Competition (2002) and the International Competition of the Guitar Foundation of America (2003).
In high demand as a soloist, Mr. Jouve has played around the world, including at the Radio France Festival in Montpellier and the Mexican Saltillo Guitar Festival. He has made two CDs of Joaquín Rodrigo’s works for solo guitar and has been featured on the cover of Classical Guitar. He holds degrees from the École Normale de Musique de Paris and the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse. This is Mr. Jouve’s first appearance in the area.
Monday, March 16, 10 a.m.-8 p.m.: Enjoy the designs on the final day, a floral-themed cocktail in the evening, and the box-office hit Steel Magnolias, about close friends in a small Louisiana town, at 6:30 p.m. The star-studded cast includes Sally Field; Julia Roberts, who won the Golden Globe for best supporting actress; Shirley MacLaine; Olympia Dukakis; and Dolly Parton, who plays the colorful owner of Truvy’s Beauty Parlor.
Ikebana for Kids–NEW
Saturday, March 7, for ages five to 10 and Saturday, March 21, for ages 11 and older
1-3 p.m. both days
Children must be accompanied by an adult. All materials will be provided.
$15 MFA members, $20 nonmembers for each session.
Children will learn how to arrange cut-flowers, twigs, and leaves based upon the centuries-old Japanese techniques of Ikebana. Jeanne Houlton, an accomplished Ikebana artist, will be the teacher. Accompanying adults interested in creating an arrangement need to register in advance by calling 727.896.2667, ext. 210.
ABOUT THE MARGARET ACHESON STUART SOCIETY
Founded three years before the Museum opened to the public in 1965, The Stuart Society is named in honor of Museum founder Margaret Acheson Stuart (1896-1980). Over the years, this impressive service organization has raised substantial funds for art acquisitions, exhibitions, educational programs, building renovations and additions, operations, and publications. Members have donated countless volunteer hours to the MFA.
The Stuart Society has been the Premier Sponsor of numerous exhibitions and a Lead Sponsor for the construction of the Hazel Hough Wing, which opened to the public in March 2008. The Society initiated Art in Bloom at the MFA, as well as the Wine Auction, Wine Weekend St. Pete, and recently Wine Weekend St. Pete 2015: Cheers to 50 Years! The organization’s importance to the MFA and the community is recognized by a gallery named in its honor. Gail Phares is the current President and in that role, serves on the Museum’s Board of Trustees. For more information, please go to www.thestuartsociety.org.
ABOUT THE MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS, ST. PETERSBURG, FLORIDA
The MFA at 255 Beach Drive N.E. has a world-class collection, with works by Monet, Gauguin, Renoir, Morisot, Cézanne, Rodin, O’Keeffe, and many other great artists. Also displayed are ancient Greek and Roman, Egyptian, Asian, African, pre-Columbian, and Native American art. The photography collection is one of the largest and finest in the Southeast.
Hours are 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday, until 8 p.m. on Thursday, and noon-5 p.m. Sunday. Admission is only “5 after 5” on Thursday and please note special Art in Bloom hours above. Regular admission is $17 for adults, $15 for those 65 and older, and $10 for students seven and older, including college students with current I.D. Children under seven and Museum members are admitted free. Groups of 10 or more adults pay only $12 per person and children $4 each with prior reservations. For more information, please call 727.896.2667 or visit www.fine-arts.org.