Oops, No Camera...

Oh, drat!!  Mom and I went on our yearly trek to the Minneapolis Institute of Art for their wonderful Art In Bloom... and as is also our tradition, we both forgot to bring our cameras.

Poor you, to have missed the wonderfulness!!

Art In Bloom challenges local flower artists to make an arrangement that reflects in some way on a particular work of art displayed in the museum.  This year more than 150 artists were assigned one particular painting or sculpture, which they then had to contemplate and then design an arrangement that in some way reflected upon the artwork itself.

The displays were all pretty, some of them stunning, some of them inspirational or funny or even thought-provoking.  Our particular favorite was a rather simple but beautifully done display of tall dark plum and white lilies in a stunning cobalt-to-purplish midnight blue vase, reflecting both the color and the movement of a Georgia O'Keef painting of tall skyscrapers - I always thought of O'Keef as a painter of flowers and other things natural, but somehow the painting still was distinctly hers. and the flower arrangement just carried the feeling along and complimented it perfectly.  

Click on the link above and see some little bit of the previous year's event - don't you wish you could have been there?  Well, you can go next year (especially you, Ms. Violet Hoarder, sweet Nancy, Kathy, Amy, and anyone else who hails from MN), because luckily it's a yearly deal.

One hint: don't try to go there at the beginning of the first day (Thursday).  We arrived at 10am on Thursday... well, no, that's a lie.  We got about 3 blocks from the Institute, and then got stuck in completely stopped traffic.  And even that far away, no parking spots (even handicapped spots) in sight.  For people who are not completely crippled up, the temptation might be to walk an extra five blocks or so - but I would suggest coming back at a later time, when the huge opening crowd won't be jostling and pushing each other back from the displays.

Mom and I turned around and went back home - and returned on Saturday at around 1pm.  It was crowded enough that the valet parking was full, and mom snagged the one remaining handicapped space (after fetching a wheelchair for me at the door - the MIA provides wheelchairs and even a few coveted scooters for free, bless their hearts.  Call ahead to reserve those scooters, they are a very coveted commodity!)

But once we got in, we were mostly able to get next to the displays, either immediately or after a very short wait.  And oh, it was sooooooo worth the bother!!  Not only did we see a great deal of loveliness, but we also met a number of very interesting and sweet fellow gawkers, some of whom knew a participating floral artist or two and gave us the Inside Scoop, some of whom were just interesting and fun to talk to.  One of the gals we talked to had a beautifully knitted Norwegian sweater of incredible intricacy, gifted to her by grateful and generous offspring, bless their hearts.  We were suitably impressed, of course - after all, we are lovers of fiber as well as of the belle fleurs...

We went home replete with gorgeousness, and also with chai and maple shortbread from the in-house cafe.  Hey, it takes a lot of energy to Ooo and Aaaah that much!!

And thanks, mom, for all the hard work you did in pushing me around.  You are a trooper, and also a joy forever.  I love you muchly, muchly indeed!