‘Art In Bloom’ Boosts Garden Club Efforts

By Kendra Bobowick

The Budd House was dressed up with for “Art In Bloom” last Saturday afternoon as guests, wine glasses in hand, moved from room to room looking at the sharp curves of petals in one photo, or a swan with its neck stretched backward to primp its feathers in another.

Those attending the event from 4 to 6 pm on Saturday, May 3, which served as an art show and fundraiser to benefit The Garden Club of Newtown’s annual donation to Newtown Scholarship Association found laughter and a buzz of people moving from one piece of artwork to another. The show’s admission fees will contribute to the scholarship fund, while artists enjoyed the venue and the floral arrangements that had been created by garden club members to complement each piece.

Downstairs in the rooms of the home owned by Shane and George Miller were paintings by local artists revealing everyday scenes, annual Newtown celebrations, or imaginative designs with titles including “Labor Day Parade,” “Shoppers,” and “Origins,” by Betty Christensen, Ruth Newquist, and Virginia Zic respectively. Nearly lost in the home’s already elegant decoration, the paintings blended well on easels or end tables near a fireplace, bookshelves, or sideboard in the main dining room.

Looking at “Shoppers,” depicting a busy street with parked cars, pedestrians and storefronts shuffled together, guest Helen Rodia said the show was “amazing” with the different images.

“It’s a little of everything,” she said. With her eyes skipping past the canvases and framed artwork, she looked at her surroundings. “Of course, the backdrop is stunning,” she said of the Budd House. A former garden club member, Ms Rodia said, “This is a bonus.” Alongside each piece of art was a floral arrangement contributed by club members. The arrangements were raffled off, also adding to the scholarship fund.

Contributing artists were Betty Christensen, Dick McEvoy, Ruth Newquist, and Virginia Zic, and photographers Frank Gardner and Bob Berthier provided framed photography for display. Garden Club members who served as floral designers preparing arrangements to accompany the art and photography were Pat Benkovich, Judy Bolduc, Thurley Burns, Beth Caldwell, Marcia Cavanaugh, Margaret Clark, Bonnie Johnson, Alma Kearns, Deb Osborne and Paula Stephan.

Club publicity coordinator Ginnie Carey enjoyed the event.

“It’s going well,” she said Saturday afternoon. Club members had provided all the food filling the dining room table on Saturday, while Cathy Smith with New-York-based Martin Scott Wines poured for the event.

“That’s part of what we like to do — have something fun for everybody,” Ms Carey said.

In addition to making an annual donation to Newtown Scholarship Association, The Garden Club of Newtown also contributes to other civic efforts. Residents interested in learning more about the club call Beth Caldwell, the club’s current president, at 994-4849.

“We’re always looking for new members,” Ms Carey said. Club meetings with guest speakers are open to the public. The next meeting will be May 27 at Newtown Meeting House at noon for members; the club usually meets on the fourth Tuesday of each month. A guest speaker begins at 1 pm, which is open to the public.