Celebrating "Martha's Flowers" at the Saint Louis Art Museum
Our promotional book tour for “Martha’s Flowers: A Practical Guide to Growing, Gathering, and Enjoying” continues.
Last week, Kevin Sharkey and I traveled to St. Louis, Missouri to speak at the Saint Louis Art Museum “Art in Bloom” exhibit, the annual celebration of fine art and fresh flowers. The “sold out” event was originally scheduled in March, the same week a nor’easter ripped through the Northeast canceling many flights in and out of New York City. Thankfully, this time the weather was perfect - warm and sunny - and more than 470-guests attended our lecture. Following the program, Kevin and I conducted a book signing and then walked through the museum to view the “Sunken Cities: Egypt’s Lost Worlds” collection. The exhibit runs through September 9th - I truly encourage you to visit if you’re in the area.
Enjoy these photos.
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- Kevin and I were so pleased to see that our rescheduled keynote lecture was sold out.
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- Here, Kevin and I are joined by Meredith Holbrook, President of the Saint Louis Art Museum Friends board, Susan Block, co-chair of the 2018 Art in Bloom celebration, and Brent R. Benjamin, the Barbara B. Taylor Director of the Saint Louis Art Museum.
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- “Art in Bloom” is when florists are invited to create beautiful displays interpreting artwork in the Museum’s collection. This display includes Mock Orange, Coral Charm peonies, and ranunculus. It was designed by Sara Ward at Wildflowers.
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- The trip was even more fun because I got to see my nephew, Kirk Christiansen, who lives in the area. Kirk, Kevin and I posed for this nice photo.
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- Various small bites were passed around during a smaller book signing before our lecture. These are mini Indian curry chicken tacos.
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- Here I am with Lizzy Reisinger, Lily Reisinger, and their mother, Jeana Reisinger.
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- And here we are with Tracy Kloss, mother of supermodel, Karlie Kloss.
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- These are Boston creme pie tartlets – a big hit with the guests.
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- Here I am with Karen Krekeler and Carrie Polk.
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- And here’s a fun photo with the Saint Louis Art Museum culinary team – Gabe Kveton, Catering Operations Manager, Ivy Magruder, Executive Chef, General Manager Panorama at the Saint Louis Art Museum, Sarah Glass, Director of Catering and Tony Cole, Sous Chef.
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- Our moderated discussion was held in the museum’s auditorium.
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- Every seat was filled – it was so nice to see such an enthusiastic and interested crowd.
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- Brent Benjamin moderated the discussion. We talked about the book, my own gardens and how they inspired the development of the book.
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- The line for the book signing serpentined through the large hall outside the auditorium. Kevin and I signed more than 325-books.
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- After the event, a group of us toured the museum’s “Sunken Cities: Egypt’s Lost Worlds” exhibit. The show displays more than 200 ancient religious, ceremonial, and commercial artifacts that were submerged under the Mediterranean Sea for more than a thousand-years.
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- This is a colossal statue of a Ptolemaic king, Thonis-Heracleion, from the Ptolemaic period 332-30 BC. It is made from pink granite.
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- This is the Colossal statue of the god, Hapy, Thonis-Heracleion, Aboukir Bay, Egypt, 4th century BC. It is made of red granite and measures 17 feet 8 5/8 by 35 7/16 inches. It weighs six tons.
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- This stunning painting by Claude Monet, 1840-1926, is called Water Lilies, c.1916-26. It is done with oil on canvas.
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- Here is a stele of Thonis-Heracleion, in the Late Period, 30th Dynasty, during the reign of Nectanebo I, 380-362 BC. This is made out of black granodiorite and is 74 13/16 inches tall.
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- Here is the ram-headed god, Amun, engraved on both sides of a limestone plaque, Thonis-Heracleion, 6th century BC. This limestone piece is 45 ¼ inches wide.
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- This is called Sphinx, made in 380–343 BC. It is Egyptian, and made from black granite.
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- This is the head of the Apis bull, Serapeum, of Alexandria in Egypt, 2nd century AD. It is possibly from the reign of Emperor Hadrian.
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- Here is the goddess, Taweret, from the 26th Dynasty 664–525 BC. It is made from greywacke and is from the Egyptian Museum in Cairo. Greywacke is a variety of sandstone generally characterized by its hardness, dark color, and grains of quartz, feldspar, and small rock fragments.
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- This is Osiris on his funeral and revival bed, 1773 to 1650 BC. It represents Osiris when Isis revives him with the breath of her wings. It is 70-inches long.
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- And this is a statue of Arsinoe II discovered at Canopus. Cut from stone, this is a wonderful example of Graeco-Egyptian art.
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- Here I am in front of a Gerhard Richter portrait of a German woman born in 1932 named Betty.
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- And here I am in front of a piece by artist, Ellsworth Kelly, called Spectrum II, 1923-2015. I am standing behind a Donald Judd piece, 1928-1994, which is untitled.
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- Kevin is in front of a Franz Kline painting – one of his favorite artists. Kevin has two paintings done in the style of Franz Kline in his New York apartment.
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- And outside the museum we saw this apotheosis of St. Louis in Forest Park. It represents Louis IX of France, 1214–70, the namesake of the city. Please try to visit the museum the next time you’re in the St. Louis area – you will love it. http://www.forestparkstatues.org/apotheosis-of-st-louis/ http://www.slam.org/exhibitions/
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