One may think of visual art forms as being permanent—painting, sculpture, photography—but sometimes it can be fleeting. This was the case at Art in Bloom, a beloved exhibit at the Delaware Valley Arts Alliance (DVAA) in Narrowsburg that pairs artistic expression with live floral arrangements.

Because of the live nature of the plants, the exhibit was only on view for three days, from August 1-3. Curated by Jane Luchsinger and DVAA Gallery Manager Tanner Simon, the show drew a large crowd for its opening on Friday evening. 

Luchsinger brought the idea of pairing artists with floral designers to the DVAA 14 years ago, after she was inspired by a similar exhibit at the Boston Museum of Fine Arts. 

This year’s event featured nine artists and eight floral designers. They were matched anonymously, and the floral designers had to create pieces that would complement the artworks. 

“I’m always amazed with what they come up with,” Luchsinger commented. “Sometimes we think, ‘I wonder what they could possibly do,’ and then the pieces are beautiful.”

“It’s a collaboration,” Simon remarked. “Sometimes [the floral designers] copy the composition, sometimes they are inspired by the piece but don’t directly copy the composition. There’s no prompt.”