Art in Bloom DC

Some ideas arrive fully formed. Others spend years quietly taking root.

For me, Art in Bloom began long before the first arrangement was ever installed in a Washington museum. Early in my career as a floral designer, I discovered Bouquets to Art at the de Young Museum in San Francisco and Art in Bloom at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. I was captivated by the idea that floral designers could select works of art from a museum's collection and create living botanical interpretations alongside them.

The concept was deceptively simple, yet profoundly moving. For a few days each year, paintings, sculpture, decorative arts, and architecture were joined by another artistic medium—flowers. Visitors experienced familiar works of art through an entirely new lens, while floral designers were invited into a creative dialogue with artists from across centuries.

I couldn't stop asking one question:

Why didn't Washington, D.C., have an Art in Bloom of its own?

That question stayed with me for years.

Like many dreams, it wasn't enough to have an idea—it needed the right people, the right place, and the right moment.

That moment arrived when I met Glenn Hennessey at Anderson House. Glenn immediately understood the vision and saw the potential of bringing Art in Bloom to Washington. His enthusiasm and belief in the project transformed what had been a personal dream into a genuine possibility. Anderson House became the home that Art in Bloom had been searching for, and for that I will always be profoundly grateful.

The Society of the Cincinnati and Anderson House embraced an idea that had never been attempted there before, opening their doors to an entirely new way of experiencing the museum. Their generosity, trust, and continued partnership have been foundational to the success of Art in Bloom DC, and I cannot thank them enough for believing in the vision from the very beginning.

Once Anderson House was on board, Margot Fischer joined the project as our third co-founder. Each of us brought different strengths, perspectives, and relationships to the table. Art in Bloom DC is the result of countless hours of collaboration, creativity, and determination. It simply would not exist without Glenn, Margot, Emly Parsons, myself and the incredible leadership, staff, and volunteers of the Society of the Cincinnati working together. What began as one person's dream became something far larger because so many people chose to believe in it.

From the very beginning, I also believed the event should be more than a temporary exhibition. While the flowers would inevitably fade, the creativity, generosity, and artistry of the participating designers deserved a permanent home. In 2021, I created the original Art in Bloom DC website and established its online presence so that each floral interpretation could continue to be celebrated long after the exhibition closed. Unlike many floral events, where the work disappears once the flowers are gone, I wanted future designers, museum visitors, students, and flower lovers to be able to revisit these remarkable creations for years to come.

As the event continued to grow, so did the work required to maintain its digital archive. In 2024, Amiee Custis joined our efforts by taking on much of the website uploading, organization, and polishing. Building upon the foundation of the original website, she eventually designed and developed a completely new version of the site, which has continued to serve the Art in Bloom DC community under the original domain. Her contributions have helped preserve and present the work of hundreds of floral artists while allowing the project to continue evolving.

This page continues that original vision.

Here you will find the story behind Art in Bloom DC, reflections on its evolution, photographs from past exhibitions, and the extraordinary work of the floral artists who have transformed museum galleries into living works of art. Each arrangement represents a conversation between two artists—one working in a permanent medium, the other in one of nature's most fleeting.

Flowers may be ephemeral, but great ideas have a way of enduring.

— Ashley Greer