Art Blossoms exhibition fills the CMA with fresh botanical beauty

PRESS RELEASE

February 14, 2024  

Columbia, S.C. – The Columbia Museum of Art announces the return of Art Blossoms, a beautifully botanical exhibition experience and museum fundraiser on view Thursday, March 21, through Sunday, March 24, the first weekend of spring. Over four festive days of flowers, fun, and fine art, Art Blossoms showcases a kaleidoscope of fresh floral arrangements — located throughout CMA galleries, public spaces, and Boyd Plaza — created by local garden clubs, florists, and designers alongside the art that inspired them.

“Join us for the Columbia Museum of Art’s celebration of spring, where garden clubs and floral designers return to bring guests a museum-wide kaleidoscope of breathtaking floral arrangements that are themselves works of art,” says CMA Executive Director Della Watkins. “This four-day exhibition and its packed lineup of events are so much fun, and I hope guests are rejuvenated and inspired by this kickoff to the season.”

Now in its fourth year, Art Blossoms is a moment for the community to come together to celebrate the arts and the beauty of nature. Visitors are invited to marvel at more than 20 living art arrangements and to participate in a full schedule of dynamic events. This year Art Blossoms brings back beloved events like its opening celebration, Roses and Rosé tastings, and art classes. It also includes exciting new events like a demonstration and dialogue with Punk Ikebana author, artist, and acclaimed floral designer Louesa Roebuck and foraging excursions with Matt Kip of Full Belly Foraging.

Art Blossoms is a unique, limited-time exhibition that also serves as a fundraiser for the Columbia Museum of Art. Every ticket purchased for the exhibition and its related events supports the CMA's award-winning arts education and programming and helps to ensure a thriving creative community in the Midlands.

Art Blossoms general museum admission: $20 / Free for members. General admission tickets are sold at the door and not available for advance purchase. Event tickets are on sale now.

Art Blossoms Events:

Art Blossoms Opening Celebration
Wednesday, March 20 | 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Shake off those winter blues with the Columbia Museum of Art! Celebrate the start of spring and the opening of Art Blossoms, your museum’s annual exhibition fundraiser in which works of art are transformed into stunning floral arrangements. Be the first to experience the breathtaking installations and creative arrangements courtesy of florists, designers, and garden clubs from across the state and enjoy refreshments catered by F2T Productions. Your ticket purchase helps support the mission of the CMA to spark powerful connections through art from around the corner and around the world. $70 / $50 for members.

Floral Flair: Brighten Up Any Space
Thursday, March 21 | 11:00 – 12:00 p.m.
Flowers and plants can make your interior and exterior spaces feel more alive and unique. See firsthand how Steven Ford, residential and commercial interior designer and owner of Steven Ford Interiors, uses fresh floral touches as cost-effective and fashionable mood-boosters for the home and garden. Learn general principles of design and tricks for stylish accessorizing as Ford engages his special dazzle to bring three room vignettes to life right before your eyes. $35 / $20 for members. Admission to Art Blossoms included.  

Garden Design with Bill Guess
Thursday, March 21 | 2:00 – 3:00 p.m.
Welcome the spring season on Boyd Plaza with Bill Guess, garden coach at B.B. Barns. Florists take into consideration the color and form of the flowers used in a floral arrangement; gardeners use these same design elements but must also account for the water and sun needs of the plants selected. Guess presents several formulas for botanical combinations that successfully incorporate both the aesthetic and horticultural needs of the plants in a garden arrangement. Each participant leaves with a blooming spring annual plant to get them started at home. $35 / $20 for members. Admission to Art Blossoms included.  

Roses & Rosé 
Thursday, March 21 | 6:00 – 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, March 23 | 4:30 – 6:00 p.m.
Sip into spring with wines paired expertly with Art Blossoms arrangements and nibbles. Hosted by Tim Gardner of the two-time James Beard Award-nominated Lula Drake Wine Parlor. Use the first half hour to mingle, enjoy nibbles, and explore the galleries before the tasting. Ages 21 and up. $100 / $80 for members.

Art Class: Floral Design (SOLD OUT)
Friday, March 22 | 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Join Sarah Shell, founder of Fern Studio Flowers, for a morning of floral design. Shell guides participants through the steps of designing and arranging a compote in Fern’s signature garden style. This class uses lush, specialty blooms with a concentration on seasonal, local flowers. Ticket includes the compote container and all flowers and mechanics needed to create a stunning centerpiece. Ages 15 and up. $200 / $160 for members.

Foraging Walks with Matt Kip of Full Belly Foraging
Friday, March 22 | 2:00 – 3:30 p.m.
Saturday, March 23 | 10:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. 
Have you ever considered the edible flora growing wild in the city? Matt Kip of Full Belly Foraging has been doing it for over 30 years and knows just where to go and what to look for. This year, celebrate Art Blossoms a little differently on a nature walk with Kip at the Columbia Riverwalk to explore what’s right here in our city’s natural landscape. Identify and harvest wild edible and medicinal plants, go over species to avoid, and learn about local habitats and what useful species can likely be found there. Kip brings a wild dish to sample before the excursion. This private walk lasts roughly 1.5 hours, so wear comfortable and weather-appropriate clothes and shoes. Limited space available. Meeting location will be included in the confirmation email after registration. $35 / $28 for members.

Matt Kip grew up exploring the woods near his house in the sandhill country of central South Carolina. After witnessing heavy machinery turn the woods near his home into housing developments and shopping centers, Kip began searching for a way to live that didn't require the destruction of nature. Fascinated by the old ways of generations who lived without the manufactured products and industrial food systems of our modern world, he began reading every book he could find about wild edibles. For 15 years now, Kip has been leading plant walks along the rivers in Columbia through his business, Full Belly Foraging. In that time he has introduced thousands of people to a refreshing way of seeing and connecting with the natural world.

Art Class: Paper Making with Plants
Saturday, March 23 | 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Create your own handmade paper using plant fibers from cotton, abaca — a plant grown in the Philippines used to make artist paper — and other floral ephemera. Participants can keep their finished paper for enjoyment or plant it and watch their creations grow and evolve. Taught by artist and CMA docent Velvet Underwood. All supplies and equipment provided. Ages 15 and up. $150 / $120 for members.

Velvet Underwood developed a love for making handmade paper and book arts several years ago when she was a fiber arts student at Central Michigan University. Since then, she has taken several university classes and workshops to advance her knowledge of both. Underwood is a resident of Chapin, where she lives with her husband and two rescue dogs. When she isn't busy making art, she volunteers her time as a docent at the CMA and is involved with community theater at the Chapin Theater Company.

Punk Ikebana Demonstration and Dialogue 
Saturday, March 23 | 2:00 – 3:30 p.m.
Join us on day three of Art Blossoms as acclaimed artist, author, and floral designer Louesa Roebuck celebrates the early spring flora of South Carolina. In her critically acclaimed books Punk Ikebana and Foraged Flora, Roebuck explains classic rules of ikebana, the Japanese art of flower arrangement, and demonstrates how to bend those rules in her distinctive style. See how her work unites the cultural meanings and wise elegance of a traditional perspective with an exhilarating freedom from convention. Audience interaction is encouraged as Roebuck shares how she has created transcendent, eco-luxe compositions with seasonal flora foraged and composed in situ from the San Francisco Botanical Gardens and elsewhere. Following the demonstration and dialogue, enjoy a book signing and a chance to meet the artist. Admission to the Art Blossoms galleries, sparkling wine, and sweet treats included. $45 / $36 for members. Books available for purchase.

Louesa Roebuck, author of the critically acclaimed Foraged Flora and Punk Ikebana, is a printmaker, painter, and floral artist. She has created flora installations from foraged and gleaned materials for high-end clients such as Michelle Obama, Vivienne Westwood, John Baldessari, Todd Selby, House Beautiful, Michael Pollan, and Alice Waters of Chez Panisse. Her work has been featured in a number of national and international magazines and media including Vogue, Martha Stewart Living, Los Angeles Times, Remodelista, Wired, C Magazine, Bare Journal, and Sunset. Aligning her deep commitment to the environment with her love of foraging, gleaning, and sourcing locally, Roebuck offers this very simple mantra: if you only forage, glean, or source local and micro-seasonal flora, you’ll have a perfectly symbiotic and harmonious practice, one that is intrinsically whole and abundant, full of more yeses than nos. She lives in Ojai, California.

Art Class: Ikebana Essentials and Aesthetics
Sunday, March 24 | 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Learn the essentials and aesthetics of ikebana, the Japanese art of flower arranging. Build your own arrangement after a brief history of the art and a demonstration. Taught by ikebana instructor Lucy Spence. All supplies and equipment provided. $200 / $160 for members.

A certified ikebana instructor in Columbia, SC, Lucy Spence is a member of Ikebana International and Sogetsu Teachers Association. She has been practicing Japanese flower arranging for 10 years. She has traveled extensively in Japan over the past 27 years and has studied Japanese language for 11 years.

Art Blossoms Sunday Teatime
Sunday, March 24 | 12:00 – 4:00 p.m.
Celebrate the final day of Art Blossoms with a relaxing afternoon featuring botanical teas and a-la-carte desserts. Sit and chat with loved ones or take part in family-friendly activities like fascinator and fan making stations or a teatime selfie station. Throughout the afternoon, guests are encouraged to drop by and visit the beautiful Art Blossoms galleries one last time. Activities free with membership or admission. Tea and desserts and other bites from Main Street Bakery available for purchase.

Art Class: Punk Ikebana Mono Prints
Sunday, March 24 | 2:00 – 5:00 p.m.
Acclaimed artist, author, and floral designer Louesa Roebuck leads participants in the creation of botanical mono prints from a range of seasonal flora materials foraged and gleaned. Use nontoxic water-based pigments and inks including walnut ink, sumi ink, gouache, water-based oil paints, and floral pigments to create botanical prints on paper and textiles. All supplies and equipment provided. Ages 15 and up. $200 / $160 for members.

Louesa Roebuck, author of the critically acclaimed Foraged Flora and Punk Ikebana, is a printmaker, painter, and floral artist. She has created flora installations from foraged and gleaned materials for high-end clients such as Michelle Obama, Vivienne Westwood, John Baldessari, Todd Selby, House Beautiful, Michael Pollan, and Alice Waters of Chez Panisse. Her work has been featured in a number of national and international magazines and media including Vogue, Martha Stewart Living, Los Angeles Times, Remodelista, Wired, C Magazine, Bare Journal, and Sunset. Aligning her deep commitment to the environment with her love of foraging, gleaning, and sourcing locally, Roebuck offers this very simple mantra: if you only forage, glean, or source local and micro-seasonal flora, you’ll have a perfectly symbiotic and harmonious practice, one that is intrinsically whole and abundant, full of more yeses than nos. She lives in Ojai, California.

Art Blossoms is presented through the support of our generous sponsors and grantors. Magnolia Sponsors: Hannah and Ron Rogers. Camellia Sponsors: BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina. Hydrangea Sponsor: Maynard Nexsen. Azalea Sponsors: Joyce and George Hill. Daffodil Sponsors: Beth and Matthew Richardson; Elliott Davis. Grantors: City of Columbia; Experience Columbia SC; Richland County Government; South Carolina Arts Commission; Discover South Carolina.

^{Image above: One of last year’s floral interpretations paired with its art inspiration. Photo credit: Victor Johnson / The Columbia Museum of Art.}