Art in Bloom returns to SLAM

Annual floral exhibition at the St. Louis Art Museum juxtaposes ancient artworks with ephemeral floral arrangements

Published on Feb. 27, 2026

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The St. Louis Art Museum's annual 'Art in Bloom' exhibition returns this weekend, February 27 to March 1, featuring floral arrangements inspired by and paired with permanent pieces from the museum's collection. The three-day event is the embodiment of transience, as the delicate floral designs often have to be refreshed or replaced multiple times throughout the weekend due to the blooms wilting quickly. This year's featured display in the Sculpture Hall is by New York-based floral designer Rachel Cho.

Why it matters

The 'Art in Bloom' exhibition allows the St. Louis Art Museum to highlight the breadth and diversity of its global art collection, while also fostering a sense of community as visitors discover new artworks and connect with local floral designers. The juxtaposition of ancient, permanent artworks with the ephemeral floral arrangements embodies the transient nature of life and beauty.

The details

Each year, the museum selects 30 pieces from its collection to inspire the floral arrangements, which are created by local floral designers in the St. Louis area. The designers are randomly assigned an artwork to interpret through their floral design. This year, St. Louis-based floral designer Darien Burress (they/them pronouns) was paired with the 17th century oil painting 'Banquet Scene with a Lute Player' by French baroque painter Nicolas Tournier. Burress is incorporating sculptural elements and traditional baroque-style florals like roses, hydrangeas, and carnations to mimic the emotive and artistic context of the painting.

  • The 'Art in Bloom' exhibition runs from Friday, February 27 to Sunday, March 1, 2026.
  • On Friday, February 27 from 6-8 PM, there will be a live floral demonstration by featured designer Rachel Cho.
  • On Saturday, there will be a ticketed 21+ 'Flowers After Hours' event.

The players

St. Louis Art Museum (SLAM)

The art museum hosting the annual 'Art in Bloom' exhibition, which features floral arrangements inspired by artworks from its permanent collection.

Amanda Rundahl

The Director of Learning and Engagement at SLAM, who organizes and curates the 'Art in Bloom' event each year.

Darien Burress

A St. Louis-based floral designer participating in 'Art in Bloom' for the fourth year, who was paired with the 17th century painting 'Banquet Scene with a Lute Player' by Nicolas Tournier.

Rachel Cho

A New York-based floral designer whose arrangement is the featured display in the Sculpture Hall for this year's 'Art in Bloom' exhibition.

Nicolas Tournier

The French late baroque painter who created the oil painting 'Banquet Scene with a Lute Player' that inspired Darien Burress's floral design.

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What they’re saying

“We're trying to select artworks that we haven't featured before, [or] at least they haven't recently been featured. They need to be diverse in terms of the makers, the time periods, and the materials that they're made from, and the subject matter and all those sorts of things that they highlight.”

— Amanda Rundahl, Director of Learning and Engagement at SLAM (studlife.com)

“We can really feature and highlight the breadth and range of the museum's global art collection. One of the really wonderful things about 'Art in Bloom' is people who come year after year and tell us that they love that it helps them find or discover new artworks in the museum.”

— Amanda Rundahl, Director of Learning and Engagement at SLAM (studlife.com)

“I'm not designing in the way I traditionally would. I'm incorporating some unique elements to kind of give it more depth and more intrigue.”

— Darien Burress, St. Louis-based floral designer (studlife.com)

“It's an incredible weekend, an opportunity to connect with new people to build connections and to experience joy together, no matter where people are coming from, no matter their walk of life, no matter their background ... and then you're getting a whole new side of art while you're there.”

— Darien Burress, St. Louis-based floral designer (studlife.com)

What’s next

The judge in the case will decide on Tuesday whether or not to allow Walker Reed Quinn out on bail.

The takeaway

The 'Art in Bloom' exhibition at the St. Louis Art Museum allows visitors to discover new artworks in the museum's collection and experience the transient beauty of floral designs inspired by these permanent pieces, fostering a sense of community and appreciation for the diversity of the museum's global art holdings.