BAM in bloom.

bellevue arts museum | bellevue, washington

Inspired by popular floral exhibitions at art museums around the country, the Bellevue Arts Museum debuted BAM in Bloom in May 2023, its inaugural four-day event combining the power of art with the beauty of nature. Floral arrangements created by 10 floral designers, including nine Slow Flowers Society members, were displayed beside artworks found in the museum's galleries and Forum exhibition spaces.

As BAM's new executive director, E. Michael Whittington had experienced successful floral-and-art events at institutions he previously led, and said he wanted to bring the concept to the greater Seattle area.

"I did this most recently at the Oklahoma City Museum of Art and it has become one of their largest events, one which has since become a significant fundraiser," Whittington said. "An Art in Bloom event provides an entry point for people who love flowers, who love art -and who come to the museum to experience both."

Whittington invited Slow Flowers Society to join BAM in

STEPHANIE DOWNES, VANITA FLORAL

SCREENS: DYLAN NEUWIRTH

"The gesture and vibrance of flowers in conversation with the characteristics of mixed media art and audience is pure purpose as a floral designer. BAM in Bloom was electrifying! The Vanita floral I created for this inaugural exhibition was made to illicit questions from the audience, challenge what are commonly considered 'pretty flowers,' and remind us that nature is micro and macro -- present in the vase and in incomparable scale in the stars."

"I was so excited to be paired with Kehinde Wiley‘s painting. Seeing the painting in person, and then taking in the impressive scale and nuance was such an important part of the experience. In my flower arrangement, I did my best to reflect the color story of Wiley’s painting, the physicality, and perhaps even some of the intensity that his image conveys."

JON THRONE, COUNTRYSIDE FLORAL AND GARDEN WEBSITE | INSTAGRAM

NICOLA LOPEZ: HALF-LIFE NO. 13

"It's always fun to have an opportunity to take a concept and run with it. In the flower shop or with wedding florals, you don't always have such creative freedom. To be able to take concepts out of my brain and make them come to life is always a relief and allows more creative ideas to be able to bloom."

Bloom as a community partner and encouraged member florists to apply. Interested in making the event as sustainable as possible, he created guidelines based on Slow Flowers' principles, encouraging the use of domestically grown or locally grown floral products. Designers were told no bleached, dyed, or synthetically preserved material and no floral foam would be accepted in the displays.

BAM's mission is to engage its audiences in the power of art, craft, and design, and the museum passionately supports emerging and established artists from the Pacific Northwest, Whittington noted. The 10 floral designers responded to a wide array of art -- photography, painting, textiles, mixed media, and sculpture -- using both floral and botanical ingredients.

"It was a wonderful opportunity to welcome people to BAM and show off the museum and the great works of art in the exhibition, and also to show off the creativity of the artists who were doing floral design," he added. Plans are already taking shape for the 2024 BAM in Bloom and Whittington expects it will again take place in early May. He hopes to expand the number of participating florists and also incorporate some of the museum's courtyard and outdoor spaces. "I just want to blow it out of the ballpark next year."

WENDY RED STAR: FOUR SEASONS

"Belle Pétale was profoundly honored to have been selected as one of the 10 local designers to participate in the splendid, inaugural BAM in Bloom event! It was a true delight to see The Bellevue Arts Museum welcoming local floral designers to take part in creating an arrangement inspired by a work of art on display, and encouraging sustainability in their designs (which is such an important feature of my floral business). This allowed me the opportunity to showcase my floral skills and floral art interpretation, while representing the mission of The Slow Flowers Society."

LEONARDO DREW: NUMBER 215B

"Being not only a floral artist but also a painter, I am always drawn to an opportunity to interpret another’s artwork. At my first sight of Number 215B, I thought, 'No way! How would I interpret that piece?' However, I found myself so captivated by both its immense stature and my initial strong feelings, I knew it was the only choice. Emotionally, I looked upon this as an exercise in organized chaos. Depicting the textures and outward movement of the piece was most satisfying, as well as figuring out how to create depth with such a neutral and closely-toned color palette."

PRESTON WADLEY: CODE SWITCHER

"My artist statement: 'Standing on strata, nurtured by stories. Nimble, adaptable, but weary with choices and the pursuit of authenticity. Our substantial warm human bodies tread proudly in the interstices, shuffling in constant negotiation, dancing on soup, rarely resting. We come from tangled layers of past truths, but we can balance here, choosing to see meaning and beauty.' I used moss, driftwood, huckleberry roots, wild bleeding heart, sword ferns, red osier dogwoods, and bright, long-lasting proteas and ranunculus displayed in glass Ehrlenmeyer flasks."

KO KIRK YAMAHIRA

"BAM in Bloom felt like a unique and special opportunity to bring flowers as a medium and type of art to life. I have always dreamed of having my flowers in a museum and this event was really top-notch for florists to be part of. I would absolutely do it again. It was well received and absolutely worth it."

ANNE BRADFIELD, ANALOG FLORAL WEBSITE | INSTAGRAM

JAMES LAVADOUR: UNTITLED AND DEEP MOON

"I loved working with such vibrant colors and really diving into all the textures of the design. For my retail and everyday work, I use more foliages. For the BAM piece, it was a true indulgence to create something so decadently flower-rich! I also loved the feeling of being part of the floral community for the show."

BLAISE BOUCHAND, MAISON DE FRANCE INTERIOR DESIGN WEBSITE | INSTAGRAM

JULIE MEHRETU

“My custom floral design interprets the emotions, the colors, and the movements reflected in the painting. It expresses the Katrina hurricane and tornadoes and their devastating aftermath."

PRESTON WADLEY: ABSTRACT TRUTH

"I was so excited to participate in BAM in Bloom! In 2019, I attended Art Alive at the San Diego Art Museum, which is their biggest yearly fundraiser, pairing floral designers with art pieces to interpret. Being able to participate in the first local version of this concept was a true honor! Interpreting the multi-layered art of Preston Wadley was an even further honor. It challenged me to think outside normal design parameters to tell a story in the way he challenges people to 'Listen with Your Eyes.' I hope this is the beginning of a great tradition and that we will see this event grow in the future."