The scent of fresh-cut flowers and the sparkling effervescence of champagne filled the Vero Beach Museum of Art during its annual Art in Bloom luncheon.
A perennial favorite of anthophiles, the event is a tropical fusion of flora and fine art, with local designers tasked with translating brushstrokes from the museum’s collection into three-dimensional living arrangements. This year’s designers found inspiration in everything from abstract sketches to streetscapes, with awards presented in a variety of categories.
Additionally, a Director’s Choice award was presented posthumously to Arun Wijetilleke in tribute to her spirit, artistry and commitment to the museum. A cherished floral designer in the Art in Bloom bouquet for more than 15 years, Wijetilleke passed away in July 2025. She had also served on the Board of Trustees during the 2002 transition from the Center for the Arts to the Vero Beach Museum of Art.
Following a viewing of the designers’ superb creativity, guests gathered in the Holmes Great Hall for a presentation by floral designer Sandra Sigman. As Sigman demonstrated her favored Parisian-style design techniques, she shared reflections on her lifelong relationship with flowers.
“Do you remember the first time you fell in love with flowers?” Sigman asked the crowd.
“Whatever that memory was to you, I think it’s something that you will hold through your whole life.”
Crediting her mother’s artistry with introducing her to flowers, Sigman said she absorbed everything she could “like a sponge.”
“I always say we spoke the language of flowers together.”
After expanding her own expertise in Paris, Sigman convinced her mother that they should open a French flower shop in New England. Sadly, her mother passed away before their dream could come to fruition, but Sigman forged ahead and opened Les Fleurs, honoring her mother’s legacy.
The festivities then shifted to the Buck Atrium, which had been reimagined as a lush, tropical floral paradise for a seated lunch catered by Elizabeth D. Kennedy & Co.
The current exhibitions, American Made: Paintings and Sculpture from the DeMell Jacobson Collection runs through June 7, and Construction: from Abstraction to Architecture through July 12.
For more information, please visit VBMuseum.org.
Photos by Joshua Kodis
