Each year, two members of the Acton Garden Club take part in Boston’s
Museum of Fine Arts’ prestigious “Art in Bloom”. This is a spring festival
of art and flowers during which garden clubs from all over New England
are invited to create floral interpretations of works of art that have been
chosen by the MFA associates.

 

Art in Bloom at the MFA in 2022

 

This year Cathy Fochtman assisted by Eileen Ryan interpreted a glass beaded, wool vest, circa 1910, made by an Ojibwe artisan which depicted a symmetrical display of the flora of the upper mid-west and southern Canada.

Cathy and Eileen built an arrangement of woodland flowers and leaves, which would have been available to the Ojibwe artisan.  It proved quite a challenge to honor the work with spring ephemerals and delicate leaves interlaced in a low, bog-like display.

 

 

 

 

 

Art in Bloom at the MFA in 2019

Maureen Christmas, assisted by Jodi MacDonald was given Josiah McElheny’s ‘Endlessly Repeating 20th Century Modernism’ to interpret.  Among the strict museum rules was the required use of oasis.  Pristine white anthuriums were supported with decorative wires.  Eryngiums were wired and stacked.  Dusty miller leaves were sprayed with tac 3000 and sandwiched around cardboard to keep rigid throughout the event.  Straws painted silver were leaves for larkspur shoots.  Carnations were abstracted to decrease bulk.  Tillandsias were wired for insertion into the foam.  Containers were gorilla glued to a board.