Museum Of Fine Arts, Boston, Celebrates Return Of Spring With Annual Art In Bloom Festival Of Art And Flowers

Press release from the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston:

February 23, 2022

Festival and Guest Speaker Programs Return to the Museum In Person for First Time Since 2019

BOSTON (February 23, 2022)—The Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (MFA), celebrates the return of spring with its 46th annual Art in Bloom festival (April 29–May 1, 2022), a celebration that pairs art from across the collection with floral interpretations created by 50 New England-area designers. Program highlights of the 2022 on-site festival include a lecture and demonstration by celebrated floral designer Michael Putnam of New York-based Putnam & Putnam and a series of master classes with internationally renowned florist Françoise Weeks, who specializes in textural woodlands and botanical haute couture. Ahead of on-site programming, virtual offerings will be available to enjoy on mfa.org, including both interactive private group tours (April 6–13) and recorded guided tours (April 6–27).

Art in Bloom launches at the Museum with a special preview of freshly installed arrangements on Thursday, April 28, from noon to 5 pm. Private guided group tours and self-guided group tours kick off on Thursday afternoon, and advance registration is required. Beginning on Friday, daily events include guided tours of arrangements throughout the galleries (free with Museum admission); snacks and lunch available for purchase in the Art in Bloom Café in addition to regular dining offerings; and a curated selection of unique gifts and treasures to browse at the MFA Art in Bloom Market and Garden Cart. Throughout the weekend, visitors are encouraged to share their best floral photos on social media using #mfaInBloom.

Art in Bloom is sponsored by the Arbella Insurance Foundation. Additional support from Yellow Wood Partners, Island Creek Oysters and The ’Quin House Impact Fund.

Tickets and reservations for group tours, in person and online, are available March 2, 2022; tickets and reservations for online recorded guided tours and on-site ticketed programs are available April 6, 2022. The festival, hosted at the Museum for more than 40 years, is presented by the MFA Associates, a group of dedicated volunteers who lead gallery tours and create flower arrangements throughout the year.

Virtual Art in Bloom

Interactive Private Group Tours (Virtual)

April 6–13

Livestreamed private interactive tours conducted via Zoom will provide Art in Bloom supporters the chance to convene a group to enjoy a one-hour presentation with MFA Associate art and floral guides. Private interactive tours accommodating up to 97 participants are priced at $400 and will be available to reserve on mfa.org beginning March 2, 2022. Tours will take place from April 6–13.

Recorded Guided Tours (Virtual)

April 6–27

Led by a team of MFA Associate art and floral guides, two recorded guided tours invite online visitors to experience Art in Bloom from anywhere in the world. Available to purchase and enjoy on mfa.org beginning April 6 through April 27—$10 each for members and $15 for non-members—these 45-minute videos feature eight works from the MFA’s collection alongside the floral arrangements inspired by the art.

Art in Bloom

Thursday Preview

April 28, 12–5 pm

Maps of the 50 arrangements are available on Thursday beginning at noon, giving visitors their first opportunity to discover this year’s art and arrangement pairings. Private guided tours for groups of up to 15 and self-guided tours for groups of up to 25 launch on Thursday at 2 pm and are available to reserve on mfa.org beginning March 2, 2022 ($450).

Daily Activities

April 29–May 1

Free guided tours of floral arrangements, included with Museum admission ($27 for adults beginning March 1; $10 for youths ages 7–17; and free for 6 and under) are offered each day. In addition to musical entertainment throughout the weekend, the MFA Art in Bloom Market (10 am–5 pm) will feature 10 specially curated vendors located in the Museum’s Shapiro Family Courtyard, inviting visitors to shop for unique gifts and treasures. The Garden Cart, known for its fresh flower-filled teacups, will include additional flower, home- and garden-related items. In the Koch Gallery, the Art in Bloom Café (10 am–4 pm) will offer light fare for purchase.

Featured Speaker Events

April 30, 10:30 am–12:30 pm, 2–4 pm; and May 1, 1–3 pm

On Saturday, master classes with Françoise Weeks (10:30 am–12:30 pm; and 2–4 pm) offer hands-on flower design instruction ($250 for members, $280 for non-members). During Sunday’s lecture and demonstration, Michael Putnam showcases creative techniques for using color to inspire breathtaking, romantic floral arrangements ($40 for members, $50 for nonmembers). Tickets for on-site ticketed programs are available to reserve on mfa.org beginning April 6, 2022.

Member Night

April 30, 6–9 pm

Members enjoy an exclusive viewing with tours of arrangements, shopping in the MFA Art in Bloom Market, and dining in the Art in Bloom Café and other venues. As an extra treat, members are invited to attend a fashion show featuring Françoise Weeks’ botanical haute couture.

About the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston

Founded on February 4, 1870, the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (MFA), stands on the historic homelands of the Massachusett people, a site which has long served as a place of meeting and exchange among different nations. The Museum opened its doors to the public on July 4, 1876—the nation’s centennial—at its original location in Copley Square. In 1909, the MFA moved to its current home on Huntington Avenue and today, the Museum houses a global collection encompassing nearly 500,000 works of art, from ancient to contemporary.

Open five days a week, the MFA’s hours are Thursday through Monday, 10 am–5 pm. The Museum is located at 465 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA 02115. For more information, call 617.267.9300, visit mfa.org or follow the MFA on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

This press release was produced by the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. The views expressed are the author's own.