If you live near me, I am sure you are familiar with the Community House. This organization has been in existence some 90 years in the city of Birmingham. It is a cultural center; they offer classes on a wide range of topics. They organize trips, host weddings, serve lunch on the terrace-they are a community resource. They are very serious in their efforts to help, educate, and serve the community in which they are located. They are eminently worth your support.
This week marks the 25th anniversary of a Community House sponsored event-the Our Town art show and sale. The event provides a forum for local artists to show and sell their work. This year’s juried show features some 300 works, with 10,000.00 in prize money to be awarded.
Becky Sorenson and Janet Grant asked if I would dress the outside of the house for their event-why not? This organization does a lot of good for a lot of people-I support their efforts. The primary goal of decor for an event-a plan that draws attention to and piques people’s interest. I wanted to make a visual representation of their open invitation to the community at large to participate in Our Town.
I took 8 containers and placed them on the steps. Janet is an old and treasured client-she likes clean and modern. I followed her lead. 8 containers at the front door would be bound to attract attention. The peacock kales, the acid washed topiary forms and grey planters are all of a piece. Succinct.
For the opening night, I did a pair of arrangements from hydrangeas and panic grass from my own yard. The silver plate vintage trumpet shaped containers-a nod to the 25th anniversary of this event. The hydrangea and the grasses are fresh, and will dry beautifully over the course of this event.
Jenny designed and produced the Our Town flags. She is instrumental in the day to day at Detroit Garden Works, but she is a very talented graphic designer in her own right. I knew her work would make our container planting the subject of visual interest. At the last minute, she laminated the flags she printed on water color paper; rain is in the forecast. Who would not respond to a flag flying?
The flags waving around-this I like. The Community House provides so many diverse services to the community-I recommend that you get involved. The Our Town Art exhibition features plenty of first rate work. For tickets to the opening tomorrow night, call the Community House. Should you be interested in viewing the art on exhibition-there is no charge. I zoomed through the exhibition while I was there planting the pots-wow. So many provocative and beautiful works. What are you up to the next few days? A visit to the Our Town exhibition is worth a visit.
You transformed the front of the Community House. If the show is as good as your inviting entrance they will have a packed house. I loved driving by now I can hardly wait to go inside this week-end. You have beaufified our area!