LAND COLLECTIVE @ the PHS Philadelphia Flower Show
We were honored to have been invited to create and present Embrace at the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society’s Philadelphia Flower Show, our nation’s oldest display of horticulture and design. Incorporating this year’s theme, “In Full Bloom,” our installation served as a visual representation of inclusivity, community, and thoughtfulness, recognizing that in gathering together, our collective consciousness is in “Full Bloom” as a society. The exhibit embodied the empathy-driven design process central to our studio’s mission, inviting all to participate. Encircling the garden was a kinetic spectrum of color composed of 500-yards of hand-dyed, hand-torn, hand-tied muslin ribbons, a feature particularly apt for the month of June in celebration of LGBTQ+ identities – one segment of our diverse population. Human communities, like plant communities, are more resilient when diverse. Within the formed space, we invited participants to gather together and appreciate the landscape of our community. Featured horticulture included: a bouquet of seven x Gordlinia trees, Cut-Leaf Staghorn Sumac, Foxgloves, Hakone Grass, and Blue Fescue.
Our process was a collaborative studio effort, spanning 7-months of design, prototyping, material gathering, and fabric dying. Sustained by Wawa hoagies and sour gummy worms, our work culminated in a sweaty and joyful week in the sun building the installation. We were incredibly pleased with the resulting ephemeral construct, brought to life by the breeze and those who stopped by for a moment of connection and respite. Though only in place for a short week, we were grateful for this rare opportunity to come together as a studio, to get our hands dirty, and to problem-solve in real time. We are overjoyed and proud to be recognized for our efforts with an award of the PHS Silver Medal.
