Walking Bouquets and Bouquets to Art at de Young Gala Part 1

The 25th anniversary of Bouquets to Art, a flower festival sponsored by the San Francisco Auxiliary of the Fine Arts Museums, is in full bloom now at the new de Young Museum. At the gala opening on Monday, besides the traditional bouquets inspired by art, creative leaf and flower arrangements were worn by a number of guests, constituting walking bouquets who mingled with the crowd vying for a prize in a costume competition, originated this year. More than 150 floral designers showcased their museum artwork-dedicated creations, hours after they have been arranged. These bouquets, placed in the galleries right in front of the respective paintings and sculptures, will be on display through Saturday. As a gallery guard told this reporter, the festival week is the only time when live blooms are allowed inside the building. Apparently, a host of insects likes to feed on oil paint, so usually cut flowers are not allowed in the museum. The signature image for the Silver Jubilee, a large format watercolor “Flora Unbound” was created by a San Francisco artist Gary Bukovnik, whose oeuvre, dedicated solely to flowers of all colors, shapes, and forms, is renowned the world over. Bouquets to Art festivities include luncheons, lectures by noted floral designers, and teas through Thursday, while Friday will feature several special programs, starting with a lecture titled “Flowers in the Movies: from Please Don’t Eat the Daisies to My Fair Lady to Steel Magnolias,” by Jan Wahl, a film critic who appears on KRON 4 TV and KCBS. Following the lecture, Jan Wahl will serve as mistress of ceremonies and one of the judges for Hat Day, a popular event at which visitors are encouraged to wear hats adorned with flowers and walk the hat runway. Prizes will be awarded in a number of categories. In the afternoon, Miranda Jones, Style Editor at Sunset magazine will present a lecture titled “From Garden to Vase: A Seasonal Tribute to the California Garden.” Bouquets to Art 2009 concludes on Saturday with a benefit drawing of spectacular prizes including jewelry and other luxury items, deluxe vacation packages, original works of art including a glass sculpture by Dale Chihuly, a exclusive tour of the King Tut exhibition for 10 people with dinner afterwards in a private historic mansion, and a San Francisco getaway package of the best that the city has to offer. Advance tickets are required for the luncheons, lectures, and teas. For information and to order tickets, go to www.bouquetstoart.org. The de Young Museum is located at Golden Gate Park 50 Hagiwara Tea Garden Drive San Francisco. Call 415.750.3600 or visit www.deyoungmuseum.org for more information. Photography by Yuri Krasov. 1. Rumiko Shiraishi Manako created this ikebana for Ed Rusha’s “A Particular Kind of Heaven.” 2. Barbara Traisman, Chairman of the publicity committee, at the opening. 3. Emma Krasov, Cheryl McCain, and Jill Lynch (from left) at the opening.