Tuesday, May 5, 2015

Art in the Gardens at Edison Estates: Flowers


The 7th Annual Art in the Gardens returns to the Edison and Ford Winter Estates from April 12 - May 15, 2015. The theme this year is “Flowers in the Garden"  Each art piece must be made with recycled materials, and the artwork must be sturdy enough to withstand Florida weather. More than 20 Lee County Schools have their artwork on display for visitors to enjoy in the Heritage Garden. The student installations of garden art are incorporated into a background of flowers, plants and trees which are a permanent part of the truck garden. There is also a large collection of plants for sale, including butterfly garden plants. On the day I visited the garden, there were countless butterflies flitting around the area--more than I’ve ever seen flying around without being in an enclosure, drawn by the plants in bloom.


This year I think that the artwork exhibits done by the elementary school students outshone their older counterparts. The younger students came up with fun, creative, whimsical designs; while the exhibits of older students were more polished and professional-looking, they didn’t have the playfulness that the elementary students’ artwork displayed. But keep looking, and judge for yourself.



The Opening Reception for the exhibit was on April 12.


 

Fan-paddle flowers by Pine Island Elementary
 


 
Art teacher Gloria Van Duzer
 

 
A huge CD-flower behind Mina Edison
 
 
The flower made of many, many compact disks is by South Fort Myers High.
 

Art teachers Jeanne Dozier and Tina Miller
 
 
Maypole with streamers by Varsity Lakes Middle School.
 On a windy day, the streamers got tangled up, or the effect would have been prettier.
 
 
Art teacher Marjorie Resler
 
 
Hubcap flowers by Lehigh Senior High

 
Art teacher Betsy H

 
Roses, LED light bulb flowers and mop-head flowers

 
Tribute to Mina and Hilda, A Swynnerton Rose


A rose garden in Staffordshire, England, commemorates the “Swynnerton Roses,” women who worked in an ammunition factory during World War II--a very dangerous job at the time because of the explosive ingredients of the munitions, such as TNT, and of bombing raids targeting the factory. (That’s all I learned about these roses. I’m not sure if this reference is correct, but it is an interesting story, anyway.)
 

 
A Swynnerton Rose by Cypress Lake High School Center for the Arts



LED light bulbs make up the center of the flower by St Andrew Catholic School.



Art teacher Diana Villadolid



 
A cluster of flowers by Edison Park Creative and Expressive Arts School

 
Art teacher Karen Flanders
 
 
One of the flowers in the cluster
 
 
Mop-head flowers by Estero High
Art teacher James Milne

 
 
A yarn flower and flowers in pails in front of real garden plants

 
A yarn flower with a unique center, well-liked by bees, by Bayshore Elementary

 
Art teacher James Lefko
 
 
Flowers in pails by Trafalgar Elementary
 
 
Art teacher Helen Garcia-Valdez
 
 
A tall red rose by Trafalgar Middle School
 
 
The rose and bud
 
 
Art teacher Margaret Horn
 

A bird and flower-covered house by Challenger Middle School
Art teacher Sandy Rayannic

 
Clematis Florida Sieboldii cluster by Fort Myers High



Art teacher Crystina Castiglione


 
A single rose by Mariner High
Art teacher Jen Riley



Colorful day lilies by Mirror Lakes Elementary



Art teacher Angela Weiss


 
Bottle-top flowers by Rayma C. Page Elementary

 

Art teacher Robert Sherry
 
 
Bottle-top flower construction from side
 
 
Pie-plate flowers by Tice Elementary
 
 
Art teacher Jill Kessler

 
Wild Flowers from plastic glasses by Tortuga Preserve Elementary

 
Zebra Flowers

 
Art teacher Christina Sterrett

 
Giant plastic utensil flowers by Veterans Park Academy for the Arts
 
 
Art teacher Jill Antonucci
 
 
Mosaic urn by St Francis Xavier Catholic School
 
 
Art teacher Vanessa Lombardo
 

Butterfly Garden plants
 
 
Butterfly perched on Lantana
 
 
Another butterfly on Ixora
 
 
Reflecting pool in the Heritage Garden
 

The reflecting pool up close