Members of Mid Island Floral Arts Club (MIFAC) have been learning all about England’s Medieval period for their by-annual Art in Bloom Exhibition at The Old School House (TOSH) arts centre in Qualicum Beach which begins June 4.
The group is taking over all three galleries at TOSH and floral arts co-ordinator with the club, Jennifer Kayll, said creating the arrangements has provided a unique opportunity for the members to express themselves in a new field and in this exhibition everyone has really immersed themselves in the spirit of the project and the creations are stunning.
“It is going to be particularly big and good this time. We have done a lot of studying and research on this,” she admitted.
Members of the MIFAC prove over and over that they are more than just flower arrangers. They are artists in their own right and Art in Bloom, which happens every two years at TOSH provides members an opportunity to interpret paintings and come up with their own floral displays to represent them.
This year they are interpreting some reproductions from a calendar that was put out in the middle of the 15th century. An artist from Port Alberni, James MacIntosh, has copied the artwork onto some huge panels that will be hung in the galleries.
As well, TOSH executive director Corinne James has included some abstracts by local artists that will also be interpreted in large floral arrangements.
Kayll said they are taking over the entire top floor of TOSH and there will be some dramatic pieces submitted by members of the club.
“We have 22 pieces of work that interpret Medieval life. One is a table six feet by three feet and it will have some foods that we have made from floral materials. There will also be a big arrangement on the War of the Roses,” she said.
The group is interpreting the Medieval times from their own point of view but Kayll said they have done their research.
One of the projects is a full size man in armor and Kayll’s contributions include three shields.
As part of the exhibition there will be an event called Tea & Tales on June 8 and 9 in which there will be professional story tellers accompanied by a flutist who will do two hour concerts on celtic chronicles and Medieval memoirs.
Terry Mack will play the flute while Mary Gavan and Marva Blackmore tell stories about life and romances from the Medieval era. Blackmore just returned from Ottawa where she performed on stage at the National Art Centre and Kayll said the shows will be very professional.
“It will be of a high calibre. It is very different from anything that has happened before,” she stated.
Although there were food fights during Medieval times, Kayll said they will keep it civil at the tea which goes on Friday, June 8 from 2 to 4 p.m. and on Saturday from 10 a.m. until noon. The Saturday afternoon tea is sold out. Money raised from the tea goes towards the club. Tickets are $10 and can be purchased at TOSH or at Fresh and Fabulous Flowers on Second Avenue in Qualicum Beach.
Art in Bloom at TOSH goes until June 16 with an opening reception on June 6 at 7 p.m. at 122 Fern Road West in Qualicum Beach.