Local florist selected for Crystal Bridges exhibit

■ When Covid-19 canceled Art Bloom, Pentecost moved forward with her floral design.

Melanie Pentecost, owner of Siloam Flowers and Gifts, was one of 16 florists selected to participate in the third annual Art in Bloom event at Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art on March 20 through 23 before the event was canceled due to covid-19 concerns.

Each year, the exhibit features the work of local florists, inspired by art in the museum’s permanent collection, according to the Crystal Bridges website. The weekend also includes live demonstrations, workshops and talks uniting the power of art and the beauty of nature, the site states.

Pentecost learned about Art in Bloom earlier this year and was both honored to be selected and eager to be involved so she was understandably disappointed when the event was canceled.

However, Pentecost decided to move forward and create the floral design she planned to display and share photos on social media. The flowers had already been ordered and she had plenty of time, with business slowed because of the

virus, Pentecost said.

The 4-foot-tall display, titled Heartbeat, is designed to be viewed from 360 degrees and features free spirit roses, orchids and pincushion protea, Pentecost said. It was created to be displayed with “Wall Drawing #880: Loopy Doopy (orange and green)” by Sol LeWitt.

In addition to creating the floral arrangement, Pentecost also had to orchestrate the container and inner support structure of her design. Pentecost ordered the steel container for the display and treated it with a solution of vinegar, hydrogen peroxide and sea salt to rust and corrode the surface. She also had to create a clear acrylic center support for the large arrangement.

Pentecost said she enjoyed learning more about LeWitt’s work in her research for the project. Loopy Doopy, with its bright green and orange waving lines, was painted directly on one of the outward-facing walls of the Early Twentieth-Century Art Galleries by a group of artists, following LeWitt’s written instructions, according to the museum website

Florists went through an online application process and submitted photos of portfolio pieces before being chosen for Art in Bloom, Pentecost said. Other florists selected to participate came from Northwest Arkansas, Missouri, Oklahoma and Nebraska, the website states.

Pentecost bought Siloam Flowers and Gifts from her sister in 2002 and earned her Certified Floral Designer designation from the American Institute of Floral Designers in 2016 after successfully completing the Professional Floral Design Evaluation. She is also an Arkansas Master Florist.

Siloam Flowers and Gifts specializes in floral designs, plants, fresh cut flowers, cards and gift items, Pentecost said. Her store is still making limited contact deliveries and is open for curbside pickup, she said.

“We will get through this hard time,” Pentecost wrote in her social media post. “Keep your hands busy with an art piece or craft you have been wanting to do.”

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