Artist Inspiration: Bouquets to Art at the deYoung Museum

Blooming Floral Design, Inc., Kaori Imaizumi, AIFD (Tokyo, Japan) Inspired by Robert Henri's Lady in Black with Spanish Scarf, 1910

The annual Bouquet to Art Exhibition at the deYoung Museum in San Francisco is a spectacular weeklong event that features a unique presentation of floral design and art.  I recently attended the exhibition and was dazzled by the array of stunning floral designs and the connection they share with the museum's artworks.

This year marks the 30th anniversary of the annual show bringing floral designers from throughout Northern California to create interpretive designs which complement works in the museum's permanent collection.  Featuring 125 floral designers, the exhibition emphasizes artworks from the museum's diverse collections- American art to the 20th century, international contemporary, art of the ancient Americas and Native American Art.  

The pieces I found particularly memorable are shown here along with links, when available, to the artworks they interpret from the museum's collection.  Click on the title of the artwork in each photo's caption to learn more about each piece through the deYoung's online Explore the Art feature.  

Flower Play, Michael Ritz, co-exhibitor Tom Teel (San Francisco) Inspired by:  John Singer Sargent's Trout Stream in the Tyrol, 1914

Rhonda Stoffel (San Francisco) Inspired by Alexander Pope's The Wild Swan, 1900

Miss Scarlet's Flowers, Joy Somersett, Charlene Schmidt (Portola Valley) Inspired by Frederick Edwin Church, Rainy Season in the Tropics, 1866

Detail of arrangement by Miss Scarlet's Flowers

Judy Cochran Ward (Novato) Inspired by George Hitchcock's Tulip Culture, 1889

Sharla Flock Designs, San Francisco Inspired by Richard Mahew's Rhapsody, 2002

I encourage those of you who are able to see the show to do so as there are so many more fascinating works to view than I have room for in this post.  The exhibition runs through Saturday, March 23rd.  Enjoy!

More information on the Bouquets to Art exhibition at the deYoung Museum can be found on the official website.