Art in Bloom 2024 with a Focus on Shoes

On Thursday, March 14th, I attended the Art in Bloom “Decades Show” at the North Carolina Museum of Art (NCMA) with my friend and host, Caroline. Although the theme was decades (think: roaring twenties, nifty fifties, etc.) I was definitely focused on footwear.

Here’s how Art in Bloom works: Each artist chooses an inspirational piece of art, and crafts a corresponding floral arrangement.

A pair of pink “wedding cake” shoes inspired me to remove my lens cap, directing my attention downward.

White sneakers were prevalent and I made a note to get myself a pair.

I love how much care some patrons gave to their outfits. If I weren’t a coward, I would have photographed some of the more outstanding ensembles. Caroline offered to ask several fashionistas permission on my behalf, but I demurred.

Instead, I continued snapping furtive pictures, earning the disapproval of NCMA’s inhabitants.

When a third inanimate onlooker gave me the side eye, I felt chastised, shouldered my Sony, and plunged deeper into the exhibits.

Caroline doing the correct thing

Meanwhile, my host was behaving in a proper manner, appreciating the floral arrangements we had come to see.

Still, my concentration wandered more toward the onlookers than the featured content. I wondered what they were thinking as they leaned in towards one item or another.

If I were from another planet—or hadn’t been raised Catholic—the image of a scantily-clad man impaled on two boards would certainly be worth a closer look.

Art is so personal, that it almost seems wrong to appreciate it in public. Maybe that’s what was holding me back. What would happen, I wondered, if I let myself react with wild abandon?

Okay, this one got my attention. Now we’re talking! I thought. I’ve been waiting for color like this all winter, and now, here it was!

More color. And shoes!

I asked Caroline to take my picture with another vibrant composition. As for my shoes, I am wearing the tan Teva flats that carried me all over Kumasi, Ghana ten years ago.

This molten piece was inspired by the work of art on the wall behind it which reminded me of Salvador Dali’s melting clocks.

Interactive art is always fun. This camera turned me and Caroline into a mosaic.

Caroline.

Cookie.

I liked this one because it made me feel like I had wings.

My rule is this: If I stare at a painting for more than ten seconds, I have to photograph it. “Where’s the lion?” I kept asking myself. “Is it standing behind me?”

More shoes!

This is a corner of a disturbing painting of dead and mostly-dead animals. Caroline said she began noticing kittens and other domesticated animals lurking in centuries-old paintings a few years ago. We wondered how on earth a seal made it into the kitchen, and marveled at the bold little cat defending that basket of oysters from such a large creature.

Caroline liked the gold foil in this multi-media project.

Cute! And yes, shoes again.

This nearly-human sculpture, fashioned from small buttons, stopped me cold.

So much for hanging around. Until, next time, that was my latest foray into the art world.