Fifteen unique floral displays are set to wow audiences at The Leaf this month as Fleurs de Villes returns to Assiniboine Park. Local florists from Winnipeg and beyond have contributed to this year’s exhibit, titled ARTISTE, which sees them collaborate with local arts organizations to create uniquely inspired pieces honouring the vast array of creativity on display in the city.
That collaboration started with an idea given to each of the florists by the arts organizations themselves. For Maddy Schiller of Bloom Floral Creative in Winkler, that prompt came from the Royal Winnipeg Ballet.
“They wanted to go a with a Cinderella story, which is actually created by a Winnipeg choreographer,” she explains. “We’re really honoured to be representing something very Winnipeg, very Manitoban.”
Schiller and her team took that prompt and created a scene when Cinderella becomes a beautiful princess just in time for the prince’s ball. Schiller notes that that the Ballet was keen to highlight the detailing in their costume work, and she was equally excited to bring that detail in her floral approach.
“You start with the colour and texture,” says Schiller when asked about that approach. That texture is seen in dried leaves and bunny tails in the bodice of the mannequin and turns into silver dollar leaf and delphinium blooms in the skirt. All of these materials also maintain their colour as the piece dries out.
Brittany Fache of Fache Florals in Winnipeg had similar considerations for her mannequin, which was inspired by the First Nations pavillion at Folklorama. Wild rose petals and green orchids provide a burst of colour to the display, alongside natural elements like beans, corn and straw flowers.
“I did my very best to include as many colours and details that are important to the regalia, bringing it to life in floral form,” Fache says.
Fache’s design is modelled after one of the pavillion’s performers, hoop dancer Buffy Handel, who collaborated closely with her on the design. “I wanted to really do it respectfully and beautifully, as best as I could,” recalls Fache as she talks about the conversations her and Handel had as the project was taking shape. “What Buffy wanted to speak to me about in its purest form is truth and reconciliation through art, through nature and art, knowing that the heart of our pieces come from our truest hearts.”
In order for the floral recreation of Handel to really shine, Fache used red willow to recreate the hoops Handel uses. “That’s what it was really made out of for millennia before hoops were designed as they were today,” Fache explains. “For me to go out and forage that on my property where we live on Treaty One Territory and include that in the piece meant a great deal to me.”
Other designs include an homage to the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra’s concertmaster Gwen Hoebig, who will be retiring in the spring, and a saxophone floral rendering for the Winnipeg Jazz Orchestra.
Fleurs de Villes ARTISTE will be on display in The Leaf’s Mediterranean Biome and the Babs Asper Display House until January 26. For more information, you can visit Assiniboine Park’s website.