Art show, festival celebrate Fallbrook's flowers

By: PATRICIA MORRIS BUCKLEY - For the North County Times | Wednesday, March 29, 2006 12:22 PM PST ∞

Fallbrook is best known as the avocado capital of the world, and thousands of people celebrate that fact with a festival every fall. But the town wanted to highlight another booming agricultural crop each spring and chose the flower industry.

"This region has a long history of flowers, and they are a big industry in Fallbrook," said Mary Perhacs, director of exhibitions for the Arts Center at Fallbrook. "The greenhouses are everywhere."

Last year, the town launched the "Art of the Flower Festival," a one-day event in April. The center also put on an art show on the same theme to coincide with the event. This year, however, there are some changes.

"We're not doing the fine art like we did last year," she said. "Last year, the fine art was hard to pull together because we didn't use local artists. We don't have the resources to do it again, and, also, I don't like to repeat things."

So this year, the exhibition ---- which opened March 26 and runs through April 16 ---- is geared more toward handmade gift items. These include embellished garden tools, photographs, note cards, dolls, jewelry and paintings.

"Everything centers on the theme of flowers," Perhacs said. "We're calling it a 'Tribute to the Gardener.' "

A second difference in the event this year is the more visible participation of the Fallbrook Garden Club. The club will celebrate its 75th annual standard flower show April 29 and 30 at the Fallbrook Community Center. The celebration includes a juried show, artistic crafts, educational and youth exhibits, a plant sale, music and a raffle. Admission is free.

"The garden club was involved last year, but we want to highlight its event even more," she said. "It's such a strong club."

Another change this year is that the exhibition opened before the festival and it runs for a few weeks afterward. The festival is a one-day open-air street fair from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. April 2. Booths will feature flowers in art, home decor, gardens, landscapes and weddings. Besides the booths, there will be miniature gardens and demonstrations by a variety of artists. Admission is free.

The Art of the Flower Festival will feature a plein-air contest where artists create a work outdoors in a set period of time. Those paintings will join the center's exhibition.

"This is something we've never done before," she said, "but it captures the festival, and so the festival lives on at the show." Flowers are definitely something that captures the eye of artists again and again.

"There are so many variations on the theme," she said of the exhibited works. "It's like the flowers themselves ---- the variety is

endless."

Plus, who doesn't like flowers?

"It's something that everyone loves," she said. "And it's a wonderful way to bring people together."