MINNEAPOLIS — For the 32nd year, Friends of the Institute presented Art in Bloom at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts, here, April 30-May 3 and it had a record-breaking attendance of over 41,000 visitors. More than 150 fresh floral arrangements by 160 pedestal artists/designers and 19 commercial florists interpreted diverse works of timeless art in the museum’s collection.

“The opportunity for SpartanNash to be a part of this event is very rewarding,” Sue DeMuth, manager of floral merchandising, Heartland Region, at SpartanNash in Edina, MN, told The Produce News. “We have, as a company, been involved in it for four years and were proud sponsors of this creative yearly show. Along with the corporate support, our Family Fresh Market stores participated in pedestal art and arranged the in-kind arrangements in the museum’s Pop-up Garden Shop. The weather was incredible and the funds raised lend support to the children’s programs and community outreach.”

Four full days of programming included lectures, floral demonstrations and hands-on workshops, a silent auction, Bachman’s flower fashion show, a gala party, a family day, an evening of Flowers After Hours and Bachman’s Bloom Off floral competition where contestants had 15 minutes to create a summer hat made from the contents of a mystery box of supplies and flowers (the contest winner was Shelly Van Anken, a student in the Hennepin Technical College Floral Design program in Brooklyn Park, MN).

Cathy Brunk, designer and member of the Bachman’s Wedding and Special Events team, told The Produce News she thought there was really good energy at this year’s Art in Bloom event.

“I got the feeling from people that it inspired them to actually embrace the ‘art’ of the floral industry,” said Brunk. “They always think of flowers as grocery store bouquets, but this helped them to recognize the artists that work with flowers. People were actually visibly excited.

“And, since it was the 100-year anniversary of the museum, they opened up the main front staircase and we at Bachman’s also did the garden inside the entryway and the rotunda fountain and the flowers for the gala,” Brunk said.

One of the featured speakers this year was Debra Prinzing, author, podcast host and creator of Slowflowers.com, who demonstrated how to design with domestic and homegrown botanical elements.

“As an invited presenter for Art in Bloom, I was thrilled to have such a beautiful setting — the Minneapolis Institute of Arts — in which to design flowers and share my Slow Flowers message of sourcing local and American grown flowers,” Prinzing told The Produce News.

“Art in Bloom’s audiences were 100 percent receptive to this message. Working with local wholesaler Koehler & Dramm, I was able to source Oregon-grown lilac and viburnum, just in time for my presentation and for the hands-on design workshop with 20 Art in Bloom students. The Sun Valley Group, headquartered in Arcata, CA, donated lilies and tulips for the workshop — what a hit those were,” she continued. “And true confession: I hand-carried some fresh blooms straight from Seattle on my flight.”

Prinzing believes the high level of professionalism in the Art in Bloom committee and volunteers made this year’s event a huge success.

“I came home inspired to try some new techniques that I observed in the pedestal displays,” said Prinzing. “Pairing floral artistry with museum-quality canvases, sculptures and decorative art pieces is a brilliant way to engage the public in the world of flowers, and, I hope, inspire them to bring more flowers into their homes and daily lives.”