Press

ALBANY, N.Y. –– As winter enters its final and cruelest leg, it's hard to think of summer blooms. Let the State Museum change your outlook with New York in Bloom - to be held 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Friday, Feb. 19, through Sunday, Feb. 21.

The flower show is the main fundraiser for the Museum's after-school programs for city youth, the Museum Club and its teen extension, the Discovery Squad.

New York in Bloom features about 60 local exhibitors, including many professional floral designers. During New York in Bloom, the Museum charges $2 for adults (children 12 and under are free) to access exhibit halls, including Treasures of the Wunsch Americana Foundation and The Weitsman Stoneware Collection. Curator John Scherer will lead gallery tours of those two exhibits at 2 and 4 p.m. on Feb. 20 and Feb. 21. Other exhibits providing the backdrop for the flower show include: Contemporary New York State Crafts 1999; We Shall Overcome: Photographs from America's Civil Rights Era; and "I See the Promised Land," a mural created by the youth in the Museum's programs and artist Tim Rollins. It is based on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s famous speech.

New York in Bloom committee member Evelyn Sturdevan will lead special flower arranging demonstrations at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. on Feb. 20 and Feb. 21.

A preview gala will be held at 6:30 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 18. Doc and Helen Rivett, enthusiastic supporters and volunteers for New York in Bloom, will be honored. Tickets for the gala are available at the Benefactor Level for $80, the Supporter Level for $60, or the Junior Level (age 35 or younger) for $40.

A flower arranging demonstration and gourmet luncheon are planned for Friday, Feb. 19. Designer Frank Laning of Chappaqua, known for taking flowers and creating still lifes, will lecture. The $40 fee includes lunch, valet parking, and admission to the show and the demonstration.

"This is one of the Museum's most important events. It helps fund a vital component of our programs – the Museum Club,'' Museum Institute Executive Director Laurie Roberts said.

The Museum Club and the Discovery Squad bring about 75 youths to the museum during the hours often cited as the times children are most at risk. At the Museum, they help develop academic and cultural activities that link the Museum exhibits to curriculum, current events and social issues. There are tutors available for homework, and to help improve math and reading skills - which helps fulfill goals of the State Education Department.

The teen extension of the Museum Club, the Discovery Squad, works throughout the Museum with mentors to learn job skills and knowledge of the workforce. They may work as a curatorial assistant, an assistant lab technician, a Museum shop employee or a gallery teaching instructor.

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*For more information or to reserve tickets, please call 518/474-5801.