
For the Eccles Community Art Center’s “Art in Bloom” Norshidah Majid created a floral arrangement to go with Jenny Rogers’ oil painting “Thistle.” Norshidah Majid, Fresh Florals.
What is Art? This is a common question, perhaps even a tired question, but one that any lover of arts has or will encounter at some point in their studies. It was the question that filled my brain while walking through the Eccles Art Center’s Art In Bloom show that took place Aug 25-27. Art in Bloom invites local florists to pick a work of art from ECA’s statewide competition to turn into a floral arrangement. These arrangements are then put on display for a short time at ECA.
Since May of this year, I have been working in a flower shop, learning the basic tenants of floral design and trying my hand at creating custom arrangements. I have enjoyed being in a new environment and creative space. When I heard about the Art in Bloom show I was intrigued as it combined an old love of mine, fine arts, with a new one, floral design.
With new knowledge of flowers and design in mind, I walked through the doors at ECA with excitement and intrigue. Some of the floral arrangements in the show took more direct and literal approaches to the art pieces they were reflecting. This resulted in floral arrangements that were complete recreations of the work of art. There were flamingos, chickens, cakes, and dolls all made entirely of flowers. Others focused on recreating the colors and general forms of their art pieces — strategically placing flowers that mimicked prominent features in the art. There were just a few that focused more on recreating the feelings imbued in the art than any color or form that was represented in the art piece. With such a range of representations, the show was equally enlightening and complex. I found myself filled with questions, many revolving around what defined art, what art’s purpose is, and what role flowers could/can play in this realm.
Floral design, while definitely creative, often finds itself stuck in a realm of superficial beauty. Its purpose as an outlet for emotion is somewhat limited as flowers tend to be only associated with love, beauty, and life. Even in the case of funerals, flowers are used to brighten somber moments and pay respects to a life lived. At one point in time flowers had their own language, each flower meant something specific and allowed people to share feelings and emotions not with words but with flowers. Over time this language has been lost and flowers have largely been left with nothing more than their good looks. Though there are examples of artists utilizing flowers to express a larger range of ideas and emotions (such as life, death, decay, and/or the brevity of life) their daily use is often one of simple beauty. While beauty for the sake of beauty is not an inherently bad or negative purpose, it is interesting to explore how the daily use of flowers might expand and push past these preconceived notions. Art in Bloom I believe takes the beginning steps to exploring these ideas.

Mckenna Ingersoll’s “Delicate Emotions” (digital painting) is reinterpreted with flowers by Aydia Bailey
One great example of this in the show was Aydia Bailey’s floral work inspired by McKenna Ingersoll’s “Delicate Emotions.” Ingersoll’s work features what Bailey believes is a Bobtail Squid. These creatures are small, nocturnal, and considered predators. There are many different types of Bobtail Squid but Bailey found herself drawn to the Hawaiian Bobtail. This squid has the ability to undergo a chemical reaction that causes it to glow, thus illuminating any shadow the creature might cast on the ocean floor. In her artist statement, Bailey shares how she reflects this squid, using light and joy to counteract darkness in her life, striving to find a balance between head and heart. She reflects on this idea saying, “Sometimes it feels like your chest is going to explode all over the place. As I’ve learned, though, the lights around you make all the difference.” Bailey’s placed her arrangement in the chest cavity of a skeleton, the flowers protruding from the chest, exploding outward in a flurry of delicate emotions. Bluish fairy lights are entangled throughout the arrangement creating a common thread throughout the arrangement. Deep purple and pink flowers create a contrast that is furthered by specks of lighter pink hypericum. The purples are achieved with gladiolas, agonis, and mini calla lilies. The skeleton’s hands reach out to the viewer: in one hand they hold a pink hydrangea in the other is an anthurium. These plants reflect Bailey’s hope to find a balance between brain and heart in her emotions. Bailey’s contemplation of the work inspired her to create an emotionally charged piece that invites viewers to evaluate their own emotional journey.
Other invoking works include the painting “Thistle” by Jenny Rogers. This clear painting has strong, precise lines. A woman — a mother — stares out at the viewer with determined strength and love. She holds a baby to her chest wrapped in purple cloth that flows down to the bottom of the canvas. The background is a neutral, light tannish color. Large thistle plants poke up on either side of the mother as well as two plants pushing up from behind each shoulder of the woman. The corresponding floral arrangement created by Norshidah Majid is round in shape. Gladiolas stand up in the back and pink Asiatic lilies surround a single white sunflower. This sunflower, like the mother in the painting, stares steadily out at the viewer. Four large purple thistles stand prominently in the piece and smaller thistles accent the empty spaces.
“Orange Horizon” by Halee Roth features a nude woman laying down, her left knee bent facing the viewer, her right hand resting on her chest, and her left hand extending back above her head. Her face is in profile, looking up. The work is done in yellow, and orange tones and an arch stretches across the canvas. Heather Goff’s floral arrangement mirrors the colors and arch featured in the painting. Goff utilized six simple, square cement-looking vases to add dimension to her arrangement. Three of the vases use yellow flowers. The vases of these yellow sunflowers, roses, hypericum, and alstroemeria make a slight incline from left to right. Three shorter vases reach around the shortest vase, taking a center spot beneath the yellow ones. Deep orange gerbera daisies, spray roses, and pincushion protea call back to the orange that stretches beneath the body of the reclined woman. Two thin black steams stretch across the vase on the far left to one on the right mimicking the arch in the painting.
Art In Bloom is a unique experience that begins to bridge the gap that is often found between what is considered fine art and craft. The creativity of the florists and the beauty of the flowers creates an atmosphere of excitement and intrigue. Such a unique event spurs deeper conversations and musings to all in attendance.
Art in Bloom was at the Eccles Community Art Center in Ogden, Aug. 25- 27.

Jesslyn Low graduated with her Bachelors at Utah State University where she studied Art History with a minor in Women and Gender Studies. After graduating she moved to Scotland where she attended the University of Edinburgh and received her Masters in Modern and Contemporary Art: History, Curating and Criticism.
Categories: Exhibition Reviews | Visual Arts
What a brave idea for a show. Fears these flowers would begin to wither noticeably must have terribly shortened the exhibit time frame; but many flowers would persist in interesting ways as dried flowers. In the case of some, the pathos of a dry or withering flower would increase the effect/message…
A vase of flowers missing from the opening of a show is always an essential missing item at a show. I have spent years wondering why. Maybe they bring into a gallery the concentrated, stored energy of the sun? Or because they’re symbolic of the urge in the artist to create–their work, in some ways, a finally-achieved yield, bloom?
Like you, Jessica, reviewer, now often working with flowers, I, long-ago greenhouse worker, often pondered the differences between flowers and what was remarkable about flowers beyond sweet smell, shape, color. The difference in their smells, not just of their flowers, but their leaves, early bloom or fading bloom, was a startling thing; also, how frail or not-frail they were. Which plants seemed happier together, and which didn’t, and how there were certain trends or ideas about certain plants/flowers which made them most popular. (This must vary from country to country. Century to century.)
Enjoyed this review of this show, reading about this show. Extended its bloom! And enhanced, deeply, the artwork.
Thank you.