Winter cold gets ???Swept Away??? with annual Flora in Winter event
Worcester Art Museum???s blooming extravaganza takes place January 25 ??? 28
Worcester, MA (December 5, 2017) ??? Flora in Winter, one of Worcester???s most beloved traditions, takes place January 25 through 28 at the Worcester Art Museum.?? For four days, scores of imaginative floral displays transform the Museum into a wonderland awash in color, light, and a profusion of delicate perfumes???the perfect antidote to winter???s icy grip.?? Floral designers interpret works from WAM???s permanent collection and fill the Museum with decorative creations intended to delight and amaze. Related programming scheduled throughout the event makes Flora in Winter a truly immersive experience at just the right time of year. Flora in Winter is free for Museum members, $22 for Nonmember adults and $6 for youth. Separate ticket prices apply to the Flora preview reception and other special ticketed programs.
Flora in Winter kicks off Thursday, January 25. A special opening night reception takes place from 5:30 to 8 p.m. and includes light refreshments, music, and a cash bar. This year???s theme, ???Swept Away,??? is inspired by Coming Away: Winslow Homer and England, a WAM exhibition that explores how Homer???s year-long sojourn in an English fishing village transformed his work. Early purchase tickets (by January 15th) are: Members $20, Nonmembers $30, student $10, youth $5; after January 15 or at the door: Members $25, nonmembers $35, student $15, youth $6.?? Tickets can be purchased online at worcesterart.org/flora or by calling 1-800-838-3006.
Flora in Winter, chaired by Worcester Garden Club members Kim Cutler, Kathy Michie, and Sarah Ribeiro, includes a variety of public programs???guided tours, floral demonstrations, a lecture by WAM Director Emeritus Jim Welu on the lost Salisbury gardens and greenhouses, and a performance by the Seele Musicale Chamber Ensemble???all free with Flora admission.?? Other special ticketed programs delve more deeply into the themes and floral design techniques and require advance registration, as space is limited. Tickets can be purchased or reserved at worcesterart.org/flora or by calling 1-800-838-3006.
Programming for guests of all ages include making origami flower corsages at Art Carts located around the Museum. At each cart, materials are available to create a corsage which can be brought home.
More information about Flora in Winter can be found at worcesterart.org/flora.?? Flora in Winter is sponsored by People???s United Bank and Imperial Distributors, Inc.?? Media partner is WBUR.
Flora in Winter 2018 events and programs:
FLORA PREVIEW RECEPTION: Swept Away Thursday, January 25, 5:30-8pm Early purchase (by January 15th) Members $20, nonmembers $30, student $10, youth $5
After January 15 or at the door: Members $25, nonmembers $35, student $15, youth $6 Guests at the Flora in Winter preview reception will be among the first to see the fresh interpretive arrangements throughout Museum galleries, and see how commercial arrangers from around the region interpreted this year???s theme: “Swept Away,” inspired by Coming Away: Winslow Homer and England. Meet Flora in Winter arrangers, enjoy distinctive entertainment, listen to live music in the Museum???s renowned Renaissance Court, and pause for artisanal sweets and a cash bar.?? Valet available at both Lancaster Street and Salisbury Street entrances for $5 per car.???? To register call: 1-800-838-3006, or buy online: at https://florapreviewreception.brownpapertickets.com
Flora Live Interpretation in the Gallery (Members Only)
Friday, January 27th, 8:30am-10am Members-only event; $32. Limited to 30 people This special Members-only event taps the expertise of floral designer Julie Lapham. Guests will enjoy coffee and pastry before heading to the galleries to watch Ms. Lapham as she creates a floral interpretation of Mr. and Mrs. James Dunlop by Thomas Lawrence live in the European galleries.
To register call: 1-800-838-3006, or buy online: at https://floralive.brownpapertickets.com
Lecture: Flora Contained
Friday, January 27, 10:30am
Free with Flora admission
Some floral designers make their containers an important part of their design and while others let the flowers do the talking. This illustrated talk by Flora Co-chair Kim Cutler will focus on the container-crazy designers and the creative ways they build, integrate, and use containers to enhance their interpretive designs. Made in-house, custom-built by professionals, repurposed, or found at the local dump, these containers play a starring role in Flora in Winter.
Interpretive Challenge Class Demonstration: The Judges Challenge Friday, January 27, 3:00-4:30pm Renaissance Court Free with Flora admission, no RSVP required, seating is limited. Three different Floral Design Judges create flower arrangements from scratch inspired by A Winged Genius (Assyrian, 883-859 BC), located in the Renaissance Court. The finished designs will be on view for the duration of Flora and will be raffled off on, Sunday, January 28th, to guests who have purchased or renewed their membership during Flora.??????
Plant Nite Friday, January 26, 5:30-7:00pm $50 Members and Nonmembers
Plant Nite is coming to WAM! Guests will create a succulent-filled terrarium to take home, visit the cash bar, and enjoy Flora while the galleries are less crowded. Materials included.??
Tickets may be purchased at https://www.plantnite.com/events/-10032628
Origami Flower Corsages
Saturday, January 27th, 10:00am-1:00pm and 1:30-3:30pm Sunday, January 28th, 11:00am-1:00pm and 1:30-3:30pm
Throughout Museum Galleries
Free with Flora admission, no RSVP required.
WAM educators lead an interactive drop-in origami-making activity throughout the Museum.
Flora Designing at Home – Floral Demonstration and Tour
Saturday, January 27, 10:00am-11:30am (demonstration); 11:30am-12noon (tour)
Members $22, Nonmembers $27, Students $6 (includes Flora admission)
At the Door: Members $25, Nonmembers $35
Guests will enjoy coffee and pastry while watching floral designer Mary Huntoon demonstrate various floral designs for your home.??These will be easy designs to liven up your house and have everyone wondering how you did it. Immediately following will be a special docent led tour of Flora in Winter.?? To register, buy online: http://florademotour.brownpapertickets.com or call 1-800-838-3006.
Lecture: The Lost Salisbury Gardens and Greenhouses with Jim Welu
Sunday, January 28, 1pm
Pre-registration required, free with Flora admission, seating is limited.
Join WAM Director Emeritus Jim Welu, as he discusses the lost Salisbury Gardens and Greenhouses.
To register, visit: https://lostgreenhouses.brownpapertickets.com or call 1-800-838-3006.
Concert: Seele Musicale Chamber Ensemble Sunday, January 28, 2:30pm Renaissance Court Free with Flora admission, no RSVP required.
Seele Musicale Chamber Ensemble???s roots were formed in November 2010??at First Unitarian Church of Worcester. Individually, the Seele Musicale musicians are teachers, music directors, orchestra members, church soloists, and chamber music enthusiasts.??Their common bond is the intense love of the music they choose.??Much of their interest gravitates around music of the 17th and 18th centuries.
Hours and Parking
Museum & Shop Thursday, January 25: 10am-5pm; The Museum and Shop reopen from 5:30-8pm for Flora Preview Reception Friday, January 26: 10am-8pm Saturday, January 27: 10am-4pm Sunday, January 28: 10am-4pm
The Museum Caf?? (For questions, please contact the Caf?? Manager at 508.793.4330) Thursday, January 25: 11am-3pm Friday, January 26: 11am-3pm Saturday, January 27: 11am-3pm
Sunday, January 28: 11am-3pm
Museum Library Thursday, January 25: 10am-4pm Friday, January 26: 10am-4pm Saturday, January 27: 10am-4pm Sunday, January 28: closed
Membership Members enjoy free admission for all four days except at Flora Preview Reception. To purchase a membership, call 508.793.4300 or visit worcesterart.org/membership
Parking Valet parking will be available throughout Flora in Winter at the Salisbury Street entrance for a fee of $5 per car.
Public Drop-In Tours
Free with Museum admission. Flora in Winter tours operate on a ???looping??? system; traveling continually through all of Flora???s interpreted objects. Join any tour loop at any time during the hours below; simply show up at any time at your convenience. Look for a docent in the loop tour area with the identifying Flora badge.??
Friday, January 27: 10:30am-7:30pm Saturday, January 28: 10:30am-3:30pm Sunday, January 29: 10:30am-3:30pm
Private Tours
Arrange a private tour for groups of 10 or more by calling Jan Ewick at 508-793-4338.
About the Worcester Art Museum
Founded in 1896, the Worcester Art Museum???s encyclopedic 37,500 piece collection covers 51 centuries of art. Highlights include the Medieval Chapter House, Renaissance Court, and Worcester Hunt Mosaic, as well as the recently integrated John Woodman Higgins Armory Collection of arms and armor. The Museum is internationally known for its collection of European and American art. It was the first in America to acquire paintings by Monet and Gauguin and one of the first to collect photography. As the first U.S. museum to focus on collaborating with local schools, it has been at the forefront of engaging audiences and giving them a meaningful and personal experience for over a century.
The Worcester Art Museum, located at 55 Salisbury Street in Worcester, MA, is open Wednesday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and every third Thursday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Admission is $16 for adults, $6 for children 4-17, $14 for seniors 65+, and $14 for college students with ID. Members and children under four are free. Parking is free. For more information, visit worcesterart.org