Art Season: Art in Bloom, Vivian Maier and May Day Parade

It seems after a long winter inside, this city of mine came alive with a larger than usual number of events that celebrate art and creativity.  I soaked in a hefty dose of inspiration and beauty throughout May and have some highlights to share with you.

At The Minneapolis Institute of Art's Art in Bloom exhibit artists are paired with a piece from the museum and create a floral arrangement inspired by the artwork.  The exhibit only lasts a few days as the life span of a floral arrangement is short.  I called up the two women in my life who love flowers the most (my mom and my mother in law) and we went to check it out.  To say it was hard to keep from touching and smelling the flowers would be an understatement!  Here are a few examples of the flower/art pairing: 

We were also there during a fashion show, where models wore dresses adorned with flowers.

This white dress was made of delicate orchids representing winter.  I'll forgive it the winter association because it was so truly stunning.

Next up: I have been enamored with the story of Vivian Maier for some time and was recently able to watch a film about her life and work.  And then I found out about an exhibit of her work in Minneapolis.  Jill and I went to take in the images on opening night.  

I switched my camera to black and white in honor of the great black and white photographs this nanny and artist took.  If you love photography, I would highly recommend spending some time looking at her work.  There are a lot of images on the website in the Portfolio section.  Check out the Street albums first!  As someone who is shy about taking pictures of strangers, I have huge respect for her bravery not to mention admiration for her great eye.

And last up....May Day!  This annual spectacle of puppetry, community, activism, music and joy is a Minneapolis tradition.  It means spring is here!

Mother Milkweed

This is an insane float with a ferris wheel, giant mechanical creature, skateboard ramp, music stage and pig roasting spit.  Its enormity defies being captured in one photo.

The energy of this event can't be properly captured in photos.  The music alone is reason to come out for the parade.  So many good vibes!

The stage on the enormous float.  Did I forget to mention it had shooting fire?

The In the Heart of the Beast Puppet and Mask Theatre is the main creative and organizing force behind the May Day event.  This year they celebrated 40 years of the parade and festival.  I wish them many more!