2027 Portland Museum of Art Floral Designer Guidelines

Thank you for your interest in participating in the Portland Museum of Art’s ninth annual 2027 Art in Bloom. The following guidelines ensure the security of the artwork and the safety and enjoyment of visitors. We thank you for your time, inspiration, and talent to make this event a great success! Please carefully review these guidelines prior to submitting your application:

Download Guidelines PDF

Important Dates

  • October 26, 2026: Application window opens
  • November 30, 2026 at 11:59 p.m.: Applications due. Submission form
  • January 5, 2027: Selected designers are contacted and artwork choices are shared
  • January 12, 2027: Artwork and gallery location preference forms due
  • January 15, 2027: Designers receive confirmation of assigned artwork and gallery location
  • March 8, 2027 at 2:59 p.m.: Final materials lists and artist statements due via submission form. Content form
  • March 9, 2027: Floral arrangement installation only during pre-arranged time with PMA staff; return for opening reception for floral designers in the evening
  • March 9–14, 2027: Art in Bloom is on view!
  • March 15, 2027 after 9 a.m.: Designers pick up floral arrangements

Applicant Eligibility

Floral designers, artists, teams or cooperatives living in Maine.

Acceptance Criteria

Designers are chosen based on artistic and creative merit of sample work including:

  • Design skill: attention to balance, proportion, color, texture, focal point
  • Craft and handling of materials: clean mechanics, structural integrity, florals
  • Horticultural expertise: thoughtful, knowledgeable handling of plant materials and life cycles

The committee also considers applicants using program-level factors such as the diversity of style across the full roster of designers, and proper proportion of new and returning designers.

Artwork Assignments

If selected to participate you will receive a list of available artworks, and you will be asked to indicate your first, second, and third choices. The requests are due back by January 12, 2027. Every effort will be made to accommodate preferred selections, but the PMA does not guarantee that all requests will be met.

Works of art currently on view may be seen in person during PMA business hours and you’re welcome to a complimentary research visit.

Designers will receive confirmation of their assigned artwork by January 15th, 2027. Please note that available artworks and locations occasionally change between January 1, 2027 and March 2027. If any changes affect your assigned artwork or location, the PMA will inform you of those changes as soon as possible.

Arrangements

  • Your final arrangement should express the essence, spirit, and your creative interpretation of the assigned artwork using the criteria above.
  • Designs shall not exceed 24 inches in height (including container) above the top of the pedestal and shall not extend laterally beyond the pedestal in any direction more than 15 inches. Suspended or hanging designs are not permitted.
  • Designers will provide a list of materials used in their arrangement to be cleared by our operations team and included in promotional materials.

Plant Material, Containers, and Accessories

  • Arrangements should be designed with primarily fresh and/or dried plant material, with non-organic materials limited to no more than 15% of the design.
  • Due to climate control, artwork safety, and pest concerns, the PMA prohibits the following in the designs: food, soil/dirt, mosses (except artificial moss, Spanish moss, and reindeer moss), sod, ice sculptures, balloons, bubbles, confetti, dry rice, glitter, dyed or colored water, and shells that have not been fully dried out.
  • All flower stamens must be removed before arrangements enter the museum. Designers authorize PMA registrars to remove any stamens that become exposed as flowers bloom throughout the week. Stamens contain pollen that may stain artwork.
  • No glue or glue guns are allowed in the galleries.
  • No endangered or federally protected plant materials.
  • No live animals (including fish).
  • Clippers are permitted use while installing and refreshing the arrangement.
  • No electrical devices, including LED lights or speakers.
  • Containers must be water tested for a minimum of 24 hours before they are brought to the Museum. Your container should be made of stone, metal, glass, or glazed ceramic. Wood- or bamboo-type containers are prohibited. If your container(s) leaks during the event, PMA staff will need to deinstall your arrangement.
  • Containers must contain Oasis/floral foam and must be stable on their base and not top-heavy or easily tipped. Containers with only standing water (no foam) will not be allowed in the PMA. Alternative floral foams (e.g. Agra-Wool) may be permitted, with advance approval from PMA staff. Floral foam should not extend over the rim of your container. Watch for weeping moisture, as water is easily displaced from soaked foam when the plant material is added. Leave an opening or poke a hole in the floral foam large enough so water can go to the bottom of the foam.

Pedestals

  • Arrangements will be displayed on supplied white pedestals. The standard pedestal provided has the following dimensions: 40 inches H x 20 inches W x 20 inches D.
  • Pedestals may not be moved from the site within the gallery.
  • All elements of the arrangement must be at least 24 inches away from any work of art.
  • Arrangements may not be removed prior to the deinstallation day of Monday, March 15, 2027.

Maintenance

  • We ask that you visit the arrangement to maintain or refresh your arrangement during a pre-arranged time at least once during the event. Designers must arrive and depart through the loading dock (not the main entrance) with all the materials needed. A PMA staff escort will be provided. Please, no unplanned drop-bys. Because of the need for a staff escort, please coordinate your visit with at least 24 hours’ notice.
  • No misting is allowed in the galleries.
  • No open water containers are allowed. Use sealed containers to prevent spilled water in galleries. Participants must provide any necessary replacement materials and take care to not overwater arrangements to avoid leakage.
  • Stamens will be removed as flowers open. PMA staff reserves the right to remove stamens as needed.

Compensation

Floral Designers will be compensated with a $250 honorarium and a 1 year membership to the PMA. In order to issue this payment, a current W9 form must be on file with our finance team. New vendors can submit W9 to [email protected].

Other Essentials

  • If it becomes necessary for you to cancel your participation prior to the event, or if there is a problem with your arrangement during the program, please notify Meghan Fichtel as soon as possible.
  • The PMA reserves the right to alter and/or remove arrangements in order to meet PMA standards and safety guidelines. The PMA is not responsible for lost, stolen, or broken materials.
  • A professional photographer will photograph your arrangement at the PMA.
  • Only one arrangement per person and/or design team is allowed.
  • Set up of floral arrangements is Tuesday, March 9, 2027. Please bring the arrangements to the PMA Loading Dock (99 Spring Street) at your designated arrival time. PMA Staff will accompany you to your location. A PMA staff member will verify that all guidelines are met and secure your work to the pedestal.

Labels

A label will be printed and mounted to accompany your work.

  • Materials list: Submit a full list of materials used in final arrangement including both botanicals, plant matter, and the vessel or construction materials that are visible to the viewer by Monday, March 8, 2027 at 2:59 p.m. Materials form. Please note we have extended this deadline from previous years. We are giving more time so that this list can be accurate and complete, and submitted only once. No submissions or changes will be accepted after this time as the lists go to print.
  • List format: Please list your materials with the scientific name, with common name in parentheticals if possible, separated by commas with no capitalization. If you’d like to give credit to a potter, include their name as the last item.
  • Artist statement: A 50 word statement about your design process, due Monday, March 8, 2027, at 2:59 p.m. Statements will appear on the web only.

Example: echinacea purpurea (eastern purple coneflower), rudbeckia (black eyed susan), dried buxus sempervirens (boxwood), driftwood, and vessel by Frida Kahlo.

Contact Information

Meghan Fichtel, Programming and Events Specialist, Portland Museum of Art, [email protected]

99 Spring Street, Portland, ME 04101

Louisa Donelson, Director of Programming and Events, [email protected]