In a sure sign that spring is approaching, Milwaukee Art Museum has announced that this year’s installment of the annual Art in Bloom will run Thursday, April 3 through Sunday, April 6.
This year it will be even bigger with a special activation each day, including a wine tasting, a fashion show, a big bash and a living statue.
Floral installations inspired by works of art in the MAM collection will be on display throughout the art museum galleries during the long-weekend event. The displays are created by floral and landscape designers and gardeners from around the region.
Among the works selected this year are "Le Père Jacques (The Wood Gatherer)" by Jules Bastien-Lepage, "Laid Table (Still Life with Metal Pitcher)" by Beth Lipman and "Our Time Together" by Derrick Adams.
Judges’ Awards will be announced on Thursday at 6 p.m., in the Lubar Auditorium, and visitors can vote in the People’s Choice Awards, the winners of which will be announced on the Art in Bloom web page.
On Thursday, from 6 to 8 p.m., the new Petals and Pours wine tasting in Windhover Hall will include sommelier presentations at 6:15 and 7:15 p.m.
The annual Floral Fashion Show returns Friday, 7-10 p.m., with gowns and accessories designed by fashion and floral designers and made with flowers. Tiered tickets include complimentary champagne, hors d’oeuvres and other perks.
Also new this year is Saturday's Bloom Bash! from 7 until 11 p.m. Guests are encouraged to wear floral attire. There will be music by DJ Kelly Aiglon, artful activations and refreshments.
On Sunday, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., expect all-ages family fun with floral living statue Ginger Whimsy.
“Every year, Art in Bloom fills the Museum with joy and color,” said MAM Chief Experience Ofice Scott Schwebel. "I’m thrilled to expand this beloved four-day event by adding something new to each day and night, inviting even more visitors to experience Art in Bloom like they haven’t before."
There will also be a garden in Windhover Hall, live music, springtime goods in the Museum Store, and food and beverages in the Museum Café and Bloom Lounge.
And perfectly suited to the event is the "Meadow" installation in Windhover Hall, which you can read about here.
“It’s always a wonderful surprise and delight to see how the florists interpret the Museum’s collection,” said MAM Director Marcelle Polednik, PhD. “We’re excited to welcome our visitors and celebrate the spirit of creative collaboration!”
Complete details of Art in Bloom events can be found here.
Art is Bloom is included in regular Art Museum admission.
Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., where he lived until he was 17, Bobby received his BA-Mass Communications from UWM in 1989 and has lived in Walker's Point, Bay View, Enderis Park, South Milwaukee and on the East Side.
He has published three non-fiction books in Italy – including one about an event in Milwaukee history, which was published in the U.S. in autumn 2010. Four more books, all about Milwaukee, have been published by The History Press.
With his most recent band, The Yell Leaders, Bobby released four LPs and had a songs featured in episodes of TV's "Party of Five" and "Dawson's Creek," and films in Japan, South America and the U.S. The Yell Leaders were named the best unsigned band in their region by VH-1 as part of its Rock Across America 1998 Tour. Most recently, the band contributed tracks to a UK vinyl/CD tribute to the Redskins and collaborated on a track with Italian novelist Enrico Remmert.
He's produced three installments of the "OMCD" series of local music compilations for OnMilwaukee.com and in 2007 produced a CD of Italian music and poetry.
In 2005, he was awarded the City of Asti's (Italy) Journalism Prize for his work focusing on that area. He has also won awards from the Milwaukee Press Club.
He has be heard on 88Nine Radio Milwaukee talking about his "Urban Spelunking" series of stories, in that station's most popular podcast.
