Art in Bloom commemorates 20 years of ‘visually stunning’ fundraiser
Black Mountain Center for the Arts hosts annual fusion of color, creativity and natural beauty
Fred McCormick
The Valley Echo
June 15, 2026
The Black Mountain Center for the Arts is celebrating the 20th anniversary of Art in Bloom, from June 1 through July 24, with a series of events. Photo by Fred McCormick
For 20 years, as spring blossoms into summer, the coalescence of the Swannanoa Valley’s natural splendor and artistic flair materializes in the center of town, radiating to enchanted landscapes across the community.
The return of Art in Bloom, which began, June 1, with the opening of the Regional Artists Gallery Exhibit, offers a series of aesthetically pleasing events throughout the month, representing the most highly anticipated season for the nonprofit Black Mountain Center for the Arts.
“It’s just so visually stunning,” said BMCA Interim Director John Hall. “It truly is a celebration of not just the center, but of Black Mountain, and the entire region.”
The opening Art in Bloom exhibit, displayed in The Upper Gallery and open to the public through Wednesday, June 17, features a juried selection of visually engaging pieces created by area artists. Each piece provides inspiration for Ikebana or Western floral designers, who will install complementary arrangements for individual paintings. First Bloom: A Sneak Peek Event, held from 6:30 p.m. - 8 p.m., Thursday, June 18, will unveil the floral arrangements, as attendees meet the designers. The event will feature drinks and desserts.
The Regional Artists Gallery Exhibit offers a “pay-as-you-can” structure, while tickets to First Bloom are $25, and can be purchased at blackmountainarts.org.
The exhibit blends natural beauty with a diverse selection of artistic interpretations, according to BMCA Board Chair Mary Fallert, who also served as the chair of the gallery committee for Art in Bloom.
“There are 21 artist featured in the gallery, representing a wide range of mediums,” she said. “We have a couple of 3D works, a variety of mediums for 2D work, with some artists who were invited, most of whom have done the show previously. Most of the artists submitted work for consideration, and a few we solicited to be part of the show.”
Tours of the ephemeral floral exhibit are available, from 10 a.m. - 4 p.m., June 19 and 20, before a bonus day, from 12 p.m. - 4 p.m., Sunday, June 21.
“Every year, I look forward to walking up the stairs, getting to the lobby and seeing the flowers with the art,” Fallert said. “I have a lot of familiarity with the art, because I often help hang the shows. But, when I go up there and the flowers are up, it’s just magical. There is some fabulous art this year and I know there will be some amazing arrangements.”
BMCA, housed in the historic building once home to Town Hall, launched its Art in Bloom fundraiser in 2006. The initial goal of the event, according to Gale Jackson, who served as the center’s director from its founding until her retirement in 2019, was to showcase the unique beauty of the Swannanoa Valley.
The work of 21 regional artists, displayed in The Upper Gallery of Black Mountain Center for the Arts, will serve as the inspiration for Ikebana and Wester floral designers, as the local nonprofit organization celebrates the 20th anniversary of Art in Bloom. Photo by Fred McCormick
“Bigger museums throughout the country, I believe one in Philadelphia and another in San Francisco, were doing annual Art in Bloom shows back then,” she said. “I don’t think anyone as small as us achieved what we achieved the first year.”
In its first season, BMCA hosted an ambitious four-day show, presenting a Japanese theme, while welcoming a taiko drumming group and naming the Japanese Consul General as its honorary chair.
“It was so well-received,” Jackson said. “We were hoping to create a fundraiser for the BMCA, but it ended up being a really big community event. It definitely hit the right note.”
One of the distinctive features of the local nonprofit’s Art in Bloom presentation is a self-guided tour of participating Swannanoa Valley gardens. The event, hosted from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m., Friday June 19 and Saturday, June 20, allows attendees to view a diverse selection of meticulously maintained garden in Black Mountain, Swannanoa, Montreat and surrounding areas. Tickets for the garden tour and gallery exhibit are $30.
Each stop on the map, provided with the purchase of tickets, showcases the artistry of cultivation, while serving as a muse for plein air artists, assigned to each of the locations.
“This aspect of Art in Bloom really emphasizes the community effort involved in this event,” Fallert said. “We find places through word of mouth, sometimes just driving by and seeing them or through conversations with friends or neighbors. It’s always our goal to feature locations that a garden lover would enjoy seeing and probably wouldn’t get to see if it wasn’t for the tour. We find a lot of interesting gardens out there.”
Over the years, the community came to cherish the fundraiser as a unique method of showcasing the beauty and artistic talents of Black Mountain, according to Jackson.
“The community came to expect it, and we had lots of people who attend it every year,” she said. “Every year we had multiple people say the gallery show with the art and floral arrangements were the best one ever. The next year, many of them would say the same thing. It really maintained its popularity, but also its essential excellence.”
Art in Bloom, which represents the largest annual fundraiser for the Black Mountain Center for the Arts, features a range of events, including receptions, exhibits and garden tours through June. Photo by Fred McCormick
While the garden tours mark another highlight of the fundraiser, the work they inspire forms the Art from the Garden exhibit, which debuts at 5 p.m., Friday, June 26, with an opening reception. Created by plein air artists, the pieces featured reflect the natural splendor of the participating garden settings. While the reception will offer complimentary refreshments, the display, which will include scenes of Black Mountain painted by the Swannanoa Valley Art League Plein Air Group, will remain on display through Friday, July 24.
Passes to view all Art in Bloom events, including the gallery shows, garden tours and receptions, are $55 for non-members and $45 for BMCA members.
The fundraiser has grown into the signature event for the nonprofit organization, which hosts continuous exhibits in The Upper Gallery, regularly scheduled productions in the Gale Jackson Theatre and dozens of classes and workshops.
“It’s such a significant fundraiser for us because there are so many different aspects to it,” Hall said. “People can purchase the artwork in the gallery and we offer various ticket packages. It’s the people, both the locals who participate and attend, as well as those who come here every year from all over the state, who have made it what it is today.”
Its lasting appeal, according to Jackson, reflects the local community’s appreciation for art and the landscape that has made the region a popular destination for many.
“Twenty years later, I think one of the first things I think about is how the aesthetics of it have survived so many years,” she said. “What it really boils down to is real beauty, when you combine the art, flowers and gardens, it is an exceptional look. It’s more than just the talent that shines through, it’s this larger overall beauty it captures.”
The showcase of local gardens, she added, has touched every corner of the Swannanoa Valley over the past two decades.
While the pairing of art pieces and floral arrangements offer “amazing” insight into the creative process of their creators, according to Hall, the widespread reach of Art in Bloom remains its most impressive feature.
“We would not be able to do this event without the incredible of our volunteers and the community sponsors who support it every year,” he said. “I think that says a lot about the things that make this place special. Art in Bloom is a chance to see the Swannanoa Valley from a different perspective, and a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the remarkable beauty of Black Mountain.”