East Meets West at Art in Bloom 2020: Beauty, Ingenuity, and Tradition, Presented by IBERIABANK March 26-29

NEW ORLEANS, LA – Art in Bloom, the most anticipated springtime event in New Orleans, returns to the New Orleans Museum of Art (NOMA) from March 26-29. With this year’s theme of Beauty, Ingenuity, and Tradition, Art in Bloom showcases spectacular floral designs created by over 100 exhibitors that remain on display at NOMA for four days. Art in Bloom: Beauty, Ingenuity, and Tradition is presented by IBERIABANK. 

Multiple displays in Beauty, Ingenuity, and Tradition will be inspired by NOMA’s special exhibition, Buddha and Shiva, Lotus and Dragon: Masterworks from the Mr. and Mrs. John D. Rockefeller 3rd Collection at Asia Society, on view March 13 through June 7, 2020. Presenting nearly seventy of the finest examples of Asian art in the United States, Buddha and Shiva, Lotus and Dragon showcases the broad range of bronzes, ceramics, and metalwork assembled by John D. Rockefeller 3rd (1906– 1978) and his wife Blanchette Hooker Rockefeller (1909–1992) between the 1940s and the 1970s. Featuring works from across the Asian continent, the selection of masterpieces presented in Buddha and Shiva, Lotus and Dragon reveals great achievements in Asian art spanning more than two millennia. 

Now in its 32nd year, Art in Bloom: Beauty, Ingenuity, and Tradition is presented in partnership with The Garden Study Club of New Orleans. Proceeds from the annual fundraiser benefit educational projects and exhibitions at NOMA, and community projects of the Garden Study Club of New Orleans. Recipients of Garden Study Club grants include the New Orleans Botanical Garden, Long Vue House and Gardens, the historic parterre garden at the Beauregard-Keyes House, rain gardens at City Park, and the Sydney and Walda Besthoff Sculpture Garden. This year’s event chairs are Julie Habetz and Malise Kearney. 

Patron Party, Preview Party, Lecture Series and Fashion Show 

The annual Art in Bloom Patron Party and the subsequent Preview Party will be held Wednesday, March 25, with the Patron Party from 6–7 PM, and the Preview Party from 7–10 PM. Featuring cuisine and libations from 30 top New Orleans restaurants and caterers, guests can enjoy an exclusive preview of the floral displays at the premier social event of the season. 

One of the distinguishing elements of the Patron Party is the silent auction, which will feature an online component, allowing art enthusiasts to bid on more than 70 unique pieces of art. A highlight of this year’s auction is a work by New Orleans-based artist Alexis Walter, entitled Perspective Developed. 

The popular Art in Bloom lecture series and the annual Art in Bloom luncheon and fashion show are scheduled for the following day, Thursday, March 26. Lecturers are clothing designer Tanya Taylor and professional florist Lewis Miller. 

Tanya Taylor started her label in 2012 with the mission to inspire all women to live in color. By celebrating individuality, and offering styles in sizes 0-22, the brand aims to create a community where every woman feels included. Through the artful use of color, texture and hand-painted prints, each Tanya Taylor collection is designed to bring confidence and high-energy happiness into a woman’s daily life. The collections have been worn by a diverse range of inspirational women such as Former First Lady Michelle Obama, Tracee Ellis Ross, Awkwafina, Jennifer Garner, Beyoncé, Kristen Wiig and Aidy Bryant. 

Born and raised in California farm country, Lewis Miller developed a respect for nature at a very young age. After seven years of pursuing his interests in design, flowers and event planning in Seattle, Miller moved to New York and launched his own company, LMD New York, Lewis Miller Design, in 2002. It quickly became one of the premiere floral design houses with clients including Harry Winston, JP Morgan Chase, Ferragamo, and Central Park Conservancy, among others. Miller is also the author of Styling Nature, A Masterful Approach to Flower Arranging and the creator of the Flower Flash, public street art installations made with flowers. 

A luncheon and fashion show presented by Saks Fifth Avenue will take place in the Pavilion of the Two Sisters in City Park following the lectures. 

Following the lectures, the luncheon and fashion show, held at Pavilion of the Two Sisters in New Orleans City Park, will feature looks from Tanya Taylor’s collection presented by Tanya Taylor Clothing and SOSUSU Boutique. 

Additional Information 

The museum will close to visitors at 5 PM on Wednesday, 3/25 

Displays on view to the public: March 26 – 29, 2020 Thursday 3/26: 1 pm-7 pm Friday 3/27: 10 am-9 pm Saturday 3/28: 10 am-5 pm Sunday 3/29: 11 am-5 pm 

@neworleansmuseumofart 

About NOMA and the Besthoff Sculpture Garden 

The New Orleans Museum of Art, founded in 1910 by Isaac Delgado, houses more than 40,000 works of art encompassing 5,000 years of history. Works from the permanent collection, along with continuously changing special exhibitions, are on view in the museum’s 46 galleries Tuesday through Friday from 10 AM to 6 PM, select Fridays from 10 AM to 9 PM, Saturdays from 10 AM to 5 PM and Sundays from 11 AM to 5 PM. NOMA offers docent-guided tours at 1 PM Tuesday – Sunday. The adjoining Sydney and Walda Besthoff Sculpture Garden features work by more than 85 artists, including several 20th and 21st-century master sculptors. NOMA’s Besthoff Sculpture Garden is free and open to the public seven days a week: 10 AM to 6 PM. The New Orleans Museum of Art and the Besthoff Sculpture Garden are fully accessible to handicapped visitors and wheelchairs are available from the front desk. Museum admission is free on Wednesdays for Louisiana residents, courtesy of The Helis Foundation. Children 12 and under receive free admission. Teenagers (ages 13-19) receive free admission courtesy of The Helis Foundation. 

About the Garden Study Club of New Orleans 

The Garden Study Club supports numerous gardening related projects in the New Orleans area. Recipients of Garden Study Club grants include the New Orleans Botanical Garden, Longue Vue House and Gardens, the historic parterre garden at the Beauregard-Keyes House, the Lafayette Square Conservancy, and the Sydney and Walda Besthoff Sculpture Garden at the New Orleans Museum of Art. The Garden Study Club also supports educational gardens at various schools throughout the city. 

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For additional information and hi-res images, contact Margaux Krane: 504.658.4106 | mkrane@noma.org