Inspire Your New Year with Art & Flowers

January’s Artful Arrangements: Original Artwork Re-Imagined in Floral Designs in the Naples Art District

 Perhaps I owe having become a painter to flowers. 

Claude Monet

I paint flowers so they may not die. 

Frida Kahlo

Flowers have inspired artists and the creation of art throughout history. This month in the Naples Art District, original artwork will be the inspiration for floral design during the Signature Annual Event, Artful Arrangements, sponsored by FineMark National Bank & Trust. Over 30 professional floral designers, members of the Naples Garden Club, and members of Ikebana International will be paired with the Naples Art District’s member artists. A selected piece of original artwork is re-imagined in floral designs; this may be a painting, possibly abstract or realistic, a piece of hand-made jewelry, or unique works in fabric, glass, or woodwork.  

In the words of Mary Raymond, a Naples Garden Club member and an accredited judge in both horticulture and floral design for the Garden Club of America and National Garden Club: “Visiting the various studios and galleries in the Naples Art District accompanied with the floral arrangements is like visiting a living museum of creation.”  The public is invited to discover and enjoy these pairings of original art and floral designs. These artful arrangements are shown in the artist’s studios, Thursday, January 18 through Saturday, January 20, 1-5pm with a $20 donation requested. 

A Special Artful Arrangements Preview Event titled Japanese Tea Ceremony and Ikebana Demonstration will be held on Tuesday, January 16, 2-4pm at the FineMark Bank & Trust Community room, 800 Laurel Oak Drive, Suite 101. Guests will enjoy tea and sweets, live art, floral demonstrations, and silent auctions of original artwork. Margy Metzler, past president of the Naples chapter of Ikebana International and the highest-ranking Ikebana Sensei in Kado Sensho Ikenobo in the United States, will be in attendance. Kaoru Sweet will perform the rituals of the Japanese tea ceremony while Ikebana designers demonstrate the harmony, respect, purity, and tranquility, so characteristic of Ikebana design. “There is a respect for nature in using only natural materials, letting nature lead the design, finding quiet, and using the heart to find your flower zen,” notes Metzler. Registration for this event is required. RSVP at 239-249-1977. $50 per person. 

Also in January, the Naples Art District is pleased to partner with the Naples Botanical Garden on Saturday, January 27, 10am-2pm for a Plein Air Festival featuring over 20 of our member artists painting “in open air” throughout the Garden.Both Mary Raymond and Margy Metzler have traveled the country and the world exhibiting and teaching floral arranging. They both agree that the Naples Botanical Garden is a world class resource, a must-see experience for residents and visitors alike. This “Plein Air Festival” offers the public the opportunity to watch local artists create original artwork live inspired by nature’s beauty. This event is free with admission to the Garden. 

The Naples Art District features 100 artists working, exhibiting, and teaching classes in their studios tucked in an eclectic neighborhood north of Pine Ridge Road. In addition to our special events, we invite you to visit us for our weekly Thursday Open Studios and themed Second Saturdays through April, from 1-5pm. Our artists are always eager to greet visitors during their open studio hours or by appointment to share their love of art. 

For more information about Artful Arrangements and to RSVP for the Japanese Tea Ceremony, please call (239) 249-1977 or email naplesartdistrict@gmail.com. For more information about the Naples Art District, our signature event, Artful Arrangements, and all our other events, please visit our website, www.naplesartdistrict.com.  

Cathy Bonacci
Author and Marketing & Events Manager
Naples Art District