The Blooms Blog

Metro Blooms is excited to learn from and support the Iraqi American Reconciliation Project (IARP), a nonprofit in Minneapolis, in helping to promote their upcoming art exhibit “Not About Bombs”. The exhibit opens on February 3rd with an opening reception from 7 to 9 pm at Intermedia Arts  in Minneapolis, and runs until March 3rd. The IARP has supported reconciliation between Iraqis and Americans through education, health, and cultural exchange programs for five years. To learn more about them and their work, see their webpage here. You can also spread the word by visiting the facebook page for the event. Hope you can make it out!

Here’s a description of the exhibit from the IARP:

NOT ABOUT BOMBS addresses how a female perspective can fit into the modern context of turmoil and conflict through art and avoid falling into the typical ways that women are represented… and misrepresented. The women in this exhibit contribute art that is visually and conceptually accomplished, but unpredictable and emotionally engaging. Because if anything, as a long, drawn-out, mind-numbing war comes to a “close,” emotional investments in Iraq are few and far between. 

Colleen O’Dell is both a Research Assistant in Practice for Metro Blooms, as well as a Masters Student at both the U of M College of Design and the Humphrey School in Minneapolis.  To entwine the worlds of academia and non-profit work, she’s researching the feasibility of an endowment that will fund perpetual maintenance of raingardens and other green infrastructure in the metro region.  Colleen anticipates that this fund will significantly reduce the cost of green infrastructure maintenance, which will encourage cities, schools, and other public agencies to install more green infrastructure as part of new developments. Read more »

This Thanksgiving, I chose to visit the High Line, a world famous park built on top of an abandoned elevated train line above Manhattan’s West Side.  The park is still under construction, with two thirds of the line already converted into park and the last third targeted for acquisition by the City of New York.  I don’t want to delve too deeply into the history of the High Line as you can learn everything you want to know at the website.  I want to talk about the experience of visiting the place and how the integration of plants, materials, and spatial design have created a unique place that is mesmerizing, beautiful and brilliantly designed to the smallest detail.

Read more »