'Flora in Winter' springs to life at Worcester Art Museum

As the title of "Flora in Winter" indicates, "it's actually before spring," said Marnie Weir, director of education and experience at the Worcester Art Museum.

That's one of the reasons why the Worcester Art Museum's "Flora in Winter" is probably its biggest and most popular event of the year. But it's also "a time to be immersed in the vibrancy of art and collaboration,” Weir said.

This year's four-day extravaganza of floral arrangements kicks off March 2, and continues through March 5, with extended hours on Friday night. WAM is anticipating that about over 5,000 people will visit over the course of the four days, Weir said.

"Flora in Winter" displays floral arrangements inspired by art from WAM’s global collection. Visitors can explore the galleries while encountering beautiful and dynamic floral designs by some of the area’s most talented floral arrangers.

"It's grey outside. It's a welcome glimpse of spring," Weir said.

"The smell of the flowers? I'm not quite sure, but people love it," said  Kathy Michie, a "Flora in Winter" volunteer co-chair and one  of the interpretative designers.

"It's wonderful in so many regards," said interpretative designer Marne Mailhot. "It's a reprieve from the bleakness of winter. It's nice that it brings hope to push through the New England winter."

20th anniversary

This year is also the 20th anniversary of the event, which was first held in 2003. "It shows that it's continually popular. We're still doing it," Weir said.

In 2021 the event was mostly virtual because of the pandemic. Last year it was mostly live, in-person again.

"It was clear people were excited to be back. You can't smell the flowers virtually," Weir said.

Some of the arrangements and events are influenced by WAM's current exhibition, The Floating World: Japanese Prints from the Bancroft Collection. Related programming includes a range of demonstrations, workshops, tours, and more.

From 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. March 3, WAM will present an opening party, "Flora Euphoria," an evening themed around "The Floating World" including live shamisen music performed by Sumie Kaneko, sake tasting, light bites, docent tours, and more.

"Flora in winter is really an institutional event," Weir noted. Many people and departments of the Worcester Art Museum have to come together to make it work successfully, ranging from the flowers and the art to the organizing the "Flora Euphoria" program and arranging the catering.

Planning for the next "Flora in Winter' starts "pretty much two weeks after" the previous event ends, she said.

WAM works closely together with Michie and fellow "Flora in Winter" volunteer co-chairs Kim Cutler and Sarah Ribeiro, all members of the Worcester Garden Club.

WAM figures out which pieces of art will be available (sometimes a work may be going out on loan, or has just been put away from exhibition for a while) for interpretative designs, and the co-chairs identify high quality designers, Weir said. "The Worcester Garden club has been a partner from the very beginning."

This year's "Flora in Winter" will have 24 interpretative designers matching their floral arrangements to a work of art, and 14 commercial arrangers will be doing about 30 flower arrangements that will be placed around the museum, Weir said. Most of the interpretative designers are local, but some invited participants are from as far away as New Hampshire.

Selected interpretative designers are sent a list of museum works they can indicate a preference for wanting to work with.

Mailhot, Michie, Tarlton interpretative designs

Michie's interpretative design will be to Relief from the Tomb of Lady Francesca de Lasta, a while marble memorial for Lady Francesca of Naples, Italy, that was made in 1377. Lady Francesca was 31.

Michie noted that WAM bought the memorial in 1923, so it has "been in the museum 100 years this year."

Ann Tarlton of New Castle, New Hampshire, is doing her second interpretative design for "Flora in Winter."

"I'm a newbie," she said. "I've been in the flower business since my 20s. Now I'm nearly 80."

Tarlton is a Garden Club of America judge and a member of the Piscataqua Garden Club of New Hampshire and Maine.

Her WAM work is "Woman in a Turtle Shell," a ceramic sculpture from approximately 600 A.D. Mexico.

Tarlton emphasized that her arrangement "isn't a reproduction, it's an interpretation of what I'm looking at."

The woman has "got this kind of inviting smile on her face," Tarlton noted.

Mailhot is working with Reginald A. Gammon Jr.'s 1964 acrylic "Holy Family," a moving work from the U.S. civil rights campaign era that shows a Black woman holding her seemingly deceased son in an image inspired by depictions of the Virgin Mary holding the body of Christ.

"I kind of sit with it and think about it as much as I can," Mailhot said. "Until I get to the flower market (and see what flowers are available) it's hard to envision what I'm going to do with it."

March 2 opening

This will be Mailhot's sixth floral interpretation for "Flora in Winter."

"I try to feel what's making itself known in the art, and I'll let that direct me in the arrangement," she said.

As one of the younger members of the Worcester Garden Club, she said she has a lot of mentors.

"There's a lot to learn," Mailhot said. Besides the creative aspect for flower design there are technical matters such as making sure the design is sturdy enough to make it from her home to the museum.

Another consideration is its placement on a display pedestal with a view to enabling people to view it properly.

WAM will be closed March 1 to allow "Flora in Winter' to be carefully set up, Weir said.

"It's a very careful loading process. These are live materials," she said. "The museum has to be protective of the art work. Everything has to be checked and monitored when it comes in."

Docents will be leading tours of the "Flora in Winter" artworks and arrangements throughout the event. Tours meet in Salisbury Hall and are free with "Flora in Winter" admission March 2-5 at 11 a.m., and 1 and 2 p.m.

Horticultural Q&A session

From noon to 2 p.m. March 2-5 at the Lancaster Lobby the Massachusetts Master Gardener Association will conduct a question-and-answer table to provide horticultural advice.

"Flora in Winter" will also feature talks, workshops and musical performances, and the cafe will have lunch options for purchase provided by Sir Loin Catering.

So truly, "Multiple senses are being activated throughout the event," Weir said.

"Flora in Winter" is also a good way for WAM to cultivate support.

Besides visitor revenues, 30% of WAM member renewals occur during "Flora in Winter," Weir said.

WAM also sells a lot of new memberships during the event.

Michie has seen that the flowers are a way of drawing people to the art. When they buy memberships it means "more people will come back," she said.

Tarlton said events such as "Flora in Winter" have become "a big money maker for a lot of organizations. In February and March, everyone needs to get out of the house. I think its a fun away to get people into the museum. I had no idea what an extraordinary collection the museum has."

Weir said WAM puts on "Flora in Winter" every year because it's popular, "but that's not the only reason."

The event is "a chance to be immersed in the vibrancy," she said.

Mailhot said she's come to look forward to "Flora in Winter" every year. For floral designers, "there's a whole set of valuable experiences. We're all obsessed with flowers. We feel lucky to do it. You get to work with art that's special and important enough to be in a museum, and you get to be part of it."

Added Weir: "Flora in Winter is a living example of the museum's mission to connect community and cultures through art and through the experience of art with these activities that keep things fun, and fresh and exciting."

'Flora in Winter'

When: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. March 2 and 3, 10 a.m. 5 p.m. March 4, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. March 5

Where: Worcester Art Museum, 55 Salisbury St., Worcester

How much: $30; $15 for institutional members; $7 for youth 17 and under. WAM Members get free admission. WAM Library Passes are not accepted during "Flora in Winter." Due to "Flora in Winter," Free First Sunday will not take place on March 5. All visitors can purchase tickets and register for related programs online at worcesterart.org or at the door.

'Flora Euphoria'

When: 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. March 3

Where: Worcester Art Museum, 55 Salisbury St., Worcester

How much: $65; WAM members, $45; worcesterart.org

This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: 'Flora in Winter' springs to life at Worcester Art Museum