NEW ORLEANS – The New Orleans Museum of Art (NOMA) and the Garden Study Club of New Orleans are partnering on the annual springtime celebration at the museum: Art in Bloom Presented by First Horizon.
From Thursday, March 19, to Sunday, March 22, visitors to the museum are able to admire floral displays by garden clubs, interior designers and other creative talents spread across all three floors of the museum. Installations and events take inspiration from NOMA’s permanent collection, as well as this year’s theme, “Marsh Madness.”
All funds raised during the weeklong event provide critical support for NOMA’s exhibitions, programs, and educational initiatives and the Garden Study Club’s community projects across the city.
“Every year, the New Orleans Museum of Art welcomes thousands of visitors for Art in Bloom,” said Susan M. Taylor, The Montine McDaniel Freeman director of NOMA. “Thanks to our event chairs, the Garden Study Club of New Orleans, and First Horizon Bank for their support of this beloved tradition and of the museum.”
This year’s event is chaired by Carroll Gelderman Zimmer and Helen Read Young with support from NOMA Volunteer Committee Chair Jennifer Rowland and Garden Study Club of New Orleans President Karen Gundlach.
First Horizon Bank returns as presenting sponsor for the 2026 event.
“We are thrilled for First Horizon Bank to return as a presenting sponsor for Art in Bloom,” said Tony Adams, NOMA Trustee and Regional president – Gulf States at First Horizon Bank. “We are always honored to help fulfill NOMA’s mission to inspire lifelong learning through the arts.”
Exhibitors include submissions from garden clubs in New Orleans and the surrounding area, ikebana practitioners from various schools, and professional florists and designers. Works by young artists from New Orleans schools are displayed around the museum’s second-floor mezzanine.
“The Garden Study Club of New Orleans and NOMA have partnered for over 30 years on Art in Bloom, one of the city’s signature spring events,” said Karen Gundlach, Garden Study Club of New Orleans president. “This year’s exhibitors represent the best in their field, and we hope visitors will take away an even greater appreciation of floral arts and the missions of our organizations.”
A full list of exhibitors is available here.
PATRON AND PREVIEW PARTY
Patrons and sponsors have the first peek at this year’s Art in Bloom displays on Wednesday, March 18, during the patron party (6–7 p.m.) and preview party (7–9 p.m.).
Patron and preview party guests will enjoy cuisine from Arnaud’s Restaurant, Bar Epilogue, Café Degas, Café NOMA, Creole Creamery, CURE, Designs in Catering, Galatoire’s Restaurant, Gautreau’s, Joel’s Catering, The Josephine, Mikimoto, Mr. B’s Bistro, Taj Mahal & Nirvana Indian Cuisine, and the Wine Collective. Libations are sponsored by the Sazerac Company and the Goldring Family Foundation.
SILENT AUCTION PRESENTED BY NEW ORLEANS AUCTION
The Art in Bloom patron party also provides the first chance for guests to browse items from the silent auction in person and place bids. With digital bidding open from March 16 to 23, this year’s silent auction features one-of-a-kind contributions from local artists and designers.
A highlight of this year’s auction is a painting by Pippin Frisbie-Calder, whose artwork is featured on this year’s invitation for the event. Often working in collaboration with biologists and other scientists, Frisbie-Calder’s work explores issues of environmental stewardship with precise depictions of the flora and fauna of South Louisiana—combining research with observation.
Other artists included in the 2026 auction include Dapper Bruce Lafitte, Michalopoulos, Joe Mustachia, Ruth Owens, Hunt Slonem, Nell Tilton, Tim Trapolin, and additional artists from a selection of New Orleans’s top galleries. A full list can be found here.
This year’s silent auction is presented by New Orleans Auction.
LECTURE SERIES AND FASHION SHOW
On Thursday, March 19, T.J. McGrath will give a presentation in NOMA’s Lapis Center for the Arts – continuing the popular Art in Bloom lecture series. McGrath, a New Jersey–based floral designer and educator recognized for his thoughtful, foam-free approach to floral design and his advocacy for seasonal, locally rooted practices.
McGrath’s work spans intimate arrangements to large-scale installations, created primarily with American-grown botanicals and informed by long-standing relationships with flower farmers and sustainability leaders nationwide. His design philosophy is both practical and poetic, emphasizing proportion, restraint, and harmony over rigid formulas. This ethos is also reflected in his organically-tended cutting garden at Jardin de Buis, which serves as a living classroom for much of his education-focused work.
Following the lecture, the Art in Bloom luncheon and fashion show takes place at the Pavilion of the Two Sisters in New Orleans City Park with food from Ralph Brennan Catering and Events. Guests will enjoy a fashion show sponsored by SOSUSU featuring looks from designer Edeline Lee.
A Canadian-British, London-based designer, Lee grew up in Vancouver, Canada, before moving to London and graduating from Central Saint Martins in 2008. After working at luxury labels including Zac Posen, Alexander McQueen and Christian Dior, Edeline launched her own label at London Fashion Week where she is known for her immersive and performative shows. All Edeline Lee pieces are made by hand in England and are designed for the “Future Lady,” a multifaceted heroine of her own creation, and the driving force behind her designs.
Lee’s work has been worn by Kate Middleton, Olivia Colman, Sally Hawkins, Gemma Chan, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Helen Mirren, Cynthia Nixon, Taylor Swift, Ciara, and Solange Knowles, among many others.
Limited seating is available for both events.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Tickets start at $23 for admission to view floral displays on Thursday, March 19–Sunday, March 22. For more information about Art in Bloom Presented by First Horizon, visit noma.org.