First Place Award (above): Melanie Wyatt, Mount Pleasant, SC – “My inspiration for this design is the black tree in the center of the painting. I am using a black contemporary sculpture as my main container. The design complements the piece of art as the materials mimic the colors. Components selected are a variety of colors from black to gray and yellow to several shades of green; blue-green, dark green, yellow-green, and gray-green.” (Artwork by Sterling Edwards / Southern Roots)Melanie Wyatt – Photo courtesy of Scott Bittler

Second Place Award (above): Rachel Rawls, Lady Banks Garden Club, Dudley, NC – “My focus was on the colors and textures in the painting. I used plant material from my yard. The sago palm represents the lines of the house. The white pampas grass reflects the colors of the house. Yellow and orange garlic heads provide the traditional line design. I used hydrangea and dried umbrella plant to represent the grass.” (Artwork by John Haug / Country Dawn)

“Rachel Rawls, our Second Place Award winner is 93, and still is active in her garden club – even teaching flower design to other clubs,” said Barb Bittler. “Rachel grew all of the plant material she used in her design in her own yard and dried it.  She even turned the base for her design on a lathe.  She truly is a remarkable woman.”

Third Place Award (above): Marietta Gwathmey, Wilmington, NC – “Following the linear details and the colors of this art piece, I used a square wooden container painted with copper paint. The flowers, similar in color to the hanging squares, are arranged in square ‘compartments’ within the container. Copper tubing and copper wire mimics the copper used in the artwork.” (Artwork by Sarah Sheffield / Color Burst)

People’s Choice Award and Best Use of Color Award (above): Sherry Jeffries, Coastal Garden Club, Bolivia, NC – “The art piece is a study of depth perception. Inspired by the painting, my design shows the depth depicted by the plant material I chose.” (Artwork by Joanne Geisel / Nature’s Estuary)

Floral Designer Roxanne Thompson, Wilmington, NC – Artist Mike Payne (Back to School)

Floral Designer Sharon Van Tyens, New Hanover Garden Club, Wilmington, NC – Artist Quinn Sweeney (Into the Pot)

Floral Designer Patti Jacaruso, Harbor Island Garden Club, Wrightsville Beach – Artist Jay DeCherese (Airlie afternoon nap)

Floral Designer Kathy Gresham, Harbor Island Garden Club, Wrightsville Beach, NC – Artist Nancy Miller (Wrightsville Beach Cottage)

Floral designer Pat McCartan, New Hanover Garden Club, Wilmington, NC – Artist Kristin Gibson (Fruit Basket)

Floral designer Noel Morris, Sweetgrass Southern Market, Ocean Isle, NC – Artist Peggy Vineyard (Through and through)

Floral designer Dee Ivey, Plant Place, Wilmington – Artist John Tapley Wulfmeyer (Zippidy Doo Dah)

Floral designer Cathy Poulos, Cape Fear Garden Club, Wilmington, NC – Artist Sue Cunningham (RETRO-spect)

Floral designer Connie Jo Goodson, Rose of Sharon Garden Club – Hampstead, NC – Artist Ros Hancock (Robert Hancock w/Chippendale chair)

Floral designer Graceann Phillips, Yaupon Garden Club, Myrtle Beach, SC – Artist Catherine Crumpton (Only a Suggestion)

Floral designer Suzanne Tarry, Olive Tree Blessing Bags, Apex, NC – Artist Linda Hartman (Mermaid 2)

Floral designer Dot Balkcum, Harbor Island Garden Club, Wrightsville Beach, NC – Artist Mary Trowbridge (Sax Player)

Floral designer Sunshine Williams, Rose of Sharon Garden Club, Jacksonville, NC – Artist Lew Lobosco (Brooklyn, NY Empty Streets)

Floral designer Hillary McNeir, Cape Fear Garden Club, Wilmington, NC – Artist Wayne Manns (Percy's Place)

Floral designer Marge Comer, Coastal Garden Club, Ocean Isle, NC – Artist Donna Launey (Avignon Passageway)

Floral designer Lisa Jennings, Coastal Garden Club, Calabash, NC – Artist Bradley Carter (Yet to be Seen)

People’s Choice Award and Best Use of Color Award – Sherry Jeffries, Coastal Garden Club, Bolivia, NC

Second Place Award (above): Rachel Rawls, Lady Banks Garden Club, Dudley, NC

Judy Binns floral demonstration on how to create many different design types using the same flowers. Judy is a National Garden Club (NGC) master flower show judge, past president of the Virginia Federation of Garden Clubs, and recipient of the NGC Member Award of Honor for the South Atlantic region.

2022 Art & The Bloom Exhibition

Gallery art sales by the Wilmington Art Association 

Bill Hamilton, an award-winning wedding and event planner and instructor, conducting a floral design demonstration on creating beautiful arrangements for your home on a budget.  Bill has won numerous awards including the 2015 EPIC Tabletop Award, Best Themed Décor Award, and the Best Team Event Award.

East Oceanfront Dining, Blockade Runner Beach Resort, Wrightsville Beach, NC

Lois Watson, a locally acclaimed Architectural Illustrator and member of the Wilmington Art Association, conducting a workshop on creating florals by collage watercolor technique. 

Sharon Van Teyens, New Hanover Garden Club, Wilmington (artwork by Quinn Sweeney, Into The Pot

 Todd Lengyltoti, Wilmington, NC – Artwork by Kate Robinson (Intentional Growth)

Kathy Gresham, Harbor Island Garden Club – Artwork by Nancy Miller (Wrightsville Beach Cottage)

Dot Balkum, Harbor Island Garden Club, Wrightsville Beach – Artwork by Mary Trowbridge (Sax Player)

Andrea Shead, Coastal Garden Club, Supply, NC – Artist George Pocheptsov (Flori Demare)

Sunshine Williams, Rose of Sharon Garden Club, Jacksonville, NC – Artist Lew Lobosco (Brooklyn, NY Empty Streets)

Marge Comer, Coastal Garden Club, Ocean Isle (Artist Donna Launey, Avignon Passageway)

Cathy Poulos, Cape Fear Garden Club, Wilmington – (Artist Sue Cunningham – RETRO-spect)

Kathy Gresham, Harbor Island Garden Club and Barb Bittler, New Hanover Garden Club