“The Denver Art Museum spotlights flowers as works of art in a unique designer event.”
Floral designer Arthur Williams, AIFD, EMC, shook things up at the September installment of the Denver Art Museum’s “Untitled: Final Fridays” event series, by bringing together floral designers from the Denver metro area and beyond to create an evening that would charm art fans and flower enthusiasts alike.
The evening, which featured a corsage bar, a flower-themed drink and full-sized sedan adorned with wedding decorations, drew around 700 attendees and was well received, Williams said.
Putting on an event centered around floral installations inside a traditional museum space was not without its challenges. To protect other artifacts in the museum, the designers were prohibited from carrying water through the gallery or using live plants, for example. “We had to take extrasteps for every part of the process,” Williams explained of the nine-month planning process.
With the help of funding from the American Institute of Floral Designers (AIFD) and product donations from Colombia-based rose cultivator Alexand ra Farms and floral product manufacturer Smithers-Oasis North America, Williams and eight other floral designers created a selfie station, a tablescape and many other floral installations for the one-night event. In addition to their installations, artists who participated had an opportunity to talk about their work in a series of “Tulip Talks.”
“My goal in the industry is getting floral designs out where the public can see them,” Williams said, as he described his motivation to showcase floral installations in traditional art spaces. Through his art, Williams is hoping to drive innovation in the field.
“People need to see how far outside of the box things can be,” Williams said. “If they don’t know what’s out there, they won’t know to ask for it, and we’ll be stuck in this space where nothing new happens.”
