Westmoreland Museum of American Art ringing in spring with 'Art in Bloom' exhibit

CBS News

26-03-2025

Spring has sprung at the Westmoreland Museum of American Art, and for the next week, special floral arrangements will not only be accenting their galleries but taking center stage.
While spring colors are just starting to bud outdoors in the Pittsburgh region, indoors at the Westmoreland Museum, flowers and art are in bloom. This is thanks to 20 local florists who have made floral arrangements that coincide with specific art and paintings around the museum.
The exhibit is called 'Art in Bloom' and is back for its second year at the museum.
Claire Ertl, the museum's marketing director, says this exhibit was brought back for a second year after its radiant success last year. She says they intend to have 'Art in Bloom' at the museum each spring.
"Coming to the museum itself is inspirational," Ertl said. "But having just this added feature of the flowers and it being the beginning of spring, it's just a great tradition that I think we have started here. And I think the community really embraced it as something to look to in the spring season."
While many artists' floral works are on display, one local artist, JD Peterson, was at the museum on Wednesday, meeting guests and telling them about her unique arrangement of calla lilies, which is paired with a painting by Mildred Thompson called 'String Theory.'
"You really have to think about how to interpret this," said Peterson. "For example, (String Theory) is a two-dimensional piece of art, but you have to bring it to life in three dimensions. And I just loved working with the texture, the color, the line, and the shape, and I am just thrilled to have this piece."
Admission to 'Art in Bloom' is $10 for the public and free to museum members. The flowers will only be on display through Sunday, March 30.
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