Blooms in the Gallery: Our Garden Club’s Artistic Tribute to The Race

Our garden club was honored to participate in the 42nd Annual Fine Art & Flowers at the Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art in Hartford, Connecticut—an inspiring spring tradition where floral designers interpret works of art through imaginative botanical displays.

This year, our arrangement was inspired by The Race (Wettlauf), a 1930 painting by German artist Oskar Schlemmer. The painting portrays five nude, mannequin-like figures preparing for a foot race. Positioned in a structured, three-dimensional grid, the figures appear stylized and ambiguous in both scale and placement—challenging the viewer to consider form, movement, and spatial perception.

Club members Kelle Young and Jen McGuinness created our floral interpretation, thoughtfully selecting plant materials that echoed the earthy tones, subtle tension, and dynamic composition of the painting. Their arrangement featured:

• Taupe and brown roses
• Two varieties of mums
• Globe thistle
• Bronze-colored orchids
• Reddish orange calla lilies
• Scabiosa seed heads
• Japanese mock orange and snowberry leaves
• Hypericum berries
• Green ball trick

The display used texture and structure to reflect the stylized geometry of Schlemmer’s figures, while color choices grounded the piece in the warm, organic hues found in the artwork. The thoughtful design offered a fresh interpretation of the painting through floral form.

Fine Art & Flowers is a beloved event that brings together garden clubs, floral designers, and art enthusiasts from across the region. Dozens of floral displays are placed throughout the museum galleries, each created as a unique response to a selected piece of artwork in the Wadsworth’s collection. The result is a breathtaking celebration of creativity, where nature and art meet in the most beautiful way.

If you're in the Hartford area, the exhibit will be on view through Sunday, April 27. We encourage you to visit and experience how flowers can offer a new perspective on the world of fine art.

For more information, visit the Wadsworth’s event page.