Painting a picture with petals

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This article was published 28/12/2024 (264 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Breathtaking beauty to delight all the senses will be on full display when Fleurs de Villes returns next month for its second Winnipeg show at The Leaf at Assiniboine Park.

Since it was co-founded in 2016 by Tina Barkley and Karen Marshall, Fleurs de Villes (flowers of the cities) has delighted audiences across Canada, the United States, England, Scotland and Australia. Each show tells a captivating floral story with different themes interpreted by skilled and talented local florists. No two shows are ever the same.

When Fleurs de Villes Voyage came to Winnipeg last January, the artistic talents of local florists took visitors on a floral journey of discovery to exotic destinations around the world. As we turn the page to a new year, Fleurs de Ville Artiste promises a tantalizing new adventure in creative floristry with a unique collaboration between local florists and Manitoba’s arts and cultural organizations.

Winnipeg is the first stop on the Fleurs de Villes Artiste 2025 global tour. Over the course of 11 days (Jan. 16-26), the Babs Asper Display House and the Mediterranean Biome at The Leaf will serve as the botanical backdrop for 15 arts-inspired floral mannequins created by local florists.

“Fleurs de Villes is floral art celebrating all the different forms of art,” said Karen Marshall. “Ultimately we are celebrating floral artists as ‘artistes’ and they are taking inspiration from different arts organizations.”

With Winnipeg home to a thriving arts and cultural scene, Marshall said, “It was natural for us to say we want to work with them all. There will be 15 art interpretations in this show but we could be doing 30. We’re really excited to see what the florists come up with.”

Marshall and Barkley play a hands-on role in matching florists with the different arts groups and in facilitating conversations about what will be represented through the mannequins.

Floral designs will be inspired by upcoming performances from the Manitoba Opera, Royal Winnipeg Ballet and Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra. The Manitoba Theatre for Young People and Prairie Theatre Exchange will also be represented, as well as the bold architecture of the Canadian Museum for Human Rights and the beloved Leo Mol Sculpture Garden. (The full list of local florists and curatorial partners is available at assiniboinepark.ca/leaf/visit-leaf/fleurs-de-villes.)

I had a chance last week to talk with three florists who are participating in Fleurs de Villes Artiste. Despite being in the midst of the busy Christmas and new-year season, they are beyond excited to be part of this one-of-a-kind show.

Silver Heights Florist is creating the Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre’s mannequin inspired by its upcoming February production of Indecent, which tells the true story of a 1923 Broadway play which became one of the most shocking events in theatre history.

Florist Christine Lyons and her design partner, Brian Cantlon, are re-creating a scene from the play. “Indecent tells the story of the issues that were happening at that time and the writers and actors who were arrested because of the play,” said Lyons. “People can see the beauty now behind the original story — it’s all about grace and love and understanding division and coming together as one. This is the most perfect storytelling experience we could have been assigned.”

The character Musetta from Manitoba Opera’s staging of La bohème is the mannequin inspiration for Academy Florist. “Designing our mannequin is a challenge and it gets us to think outside of the box of what we would normally do,” said florist Kayla Robinson. “We get to flex some of those creative muscles that an everyday order may not give us the opportunity to do.”

One of the challenges is to ensure the elaborate floral creations remain fresh for the duration of the 11-day show. “We go in and refresh but that’s not super simple,” said Robinson. Mannequins are approximately two metres in height and they are displayed on individual platforms that make for a total height of 2.4-2.7 metres. “Last January we did it all without the use of floral foam, so we were very sustainable and used chicken wire and buckets and cups of water.”

Both Silver Heights Florist and Academy Florist were participants in the 2024 show, but Addison Taylor Floral Design will be participating in Fleurs de Villes for the first time. Florist Andrea Purcell’s inspiration will be the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra’s Celebrating Gwen Hoebig concert.

“I first saw Fleurs de Villes when I was in Vancouver several years ago and I was blown away thinking this is something I would absolutely want to be a part of one day,” said Purcell. “We are excited to be honouring such a renowned violinist as Gwen. Our design is inspired by one of the pieces she will be playing in the May concert — Claude Debussy’s La Mer.”

Hoebig has led the WSO as concertmaster for 36 seasons. “She is a consummate musician I admire greatly,” said Earl Stafford, former music director for the RWB. Stafford plans to attend Fleurs de Villes Artiste in January with his good friend, Marion Lewis.

And so it goes. Fleurs de Villes is a must-see event Winnipeggers flocked to last year and will once again when the show returns in January.

Gerald Dieleman, senior director of horticulture at the Assiniboine Park Conservancy, said Fleurs de Villes is the perfect intersection of different types of artistic expression. “Fleurs de Villes Artiste speaks to the ephemeral nature of florals,” he said. “The florists are the artists and Fleurs de Villes plays the matchmaker with the arts groups. The Fleurs de Villes team takes this experience around the world but makes it very unique to the location.”

“One of the things really important for the storytelling aspect is that we take a great deal of time to curate the show with the arts partners and to tell the story of the inspired piece via the signage,” said Marshall.

So make sure to read the signage that accompanies each mannequin. Not only will you learn about the inspiration for each exquisite floral masterpiece but there will also be key details that will be helpful when you enter the fan-favourite contest for a chance to win a weekend package at the Fairmont Winnipeg and the Ultimate Winnipeg Arts Package — four tickets each for 15 different arts and cultural experiences. “It’s a fantastic prize worth thousands of dollars,” said Marshall.

Romance, mystery, intrigue, poetry, scandal, virtuosity — get ready to explore the floral stories at Fleurs de Villes, each richly illustrated with fresh florals in exuberant colour by local florists in collaboration with Manitoba arts and cultural organizations.

“What we’re really passionate about is our audience,” said Barkley. “When we see a trend that emerges with our audience or something they really love, that helps to determine our themes and where we go next year. Fleurs de Villes Artiste will be our second time in Winnipeg and we hope to be back every year with a different theme.”

For tickets, visit assiniboinepark.ca/leaf/visit-leaf/fleurs-de-villes

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