Flower House Detroit

Overview: In October 2015, 37 floral designers and over 100 volunteers from across North America came together to fill an abandoned Detroit house with American-grown fresh flowers and living plants. An estimated 3,400 curious visitors explored the house over the 3-day exhibition, and the installation hosted 3 weddings and dinner for 180 people. The project received international media attention—with an estimated 287,000,000+ media impressions in just the first month alone.

Why did this project touch so many people? In this lecture, botanical installation artist Lisa Waud describes her extraordinary project from idea to exhibition, discussing what about the installation was so magnetic to so many people across the world—exploring her thoughts on beauty, blight, and nostalgia, and the themes of risk-taking, logistics, and collaboration through the lens of the large-scale installation.

To mark the 10 year anniversary of the project this year, Lisa updated her presentation with perspective of time and her experiences since, folding together stunning images, moving videos, and audience participation.

The presentation will be held in the Granary, and light refreshments will be provided.

About Oak Spring Garden Foundation: The Oak Spring Garden Foundation (OSGF) is a philanthropic foundation based at the former primary estate of the late Paul and Rachel Mellon, who were major philanthropists in the U.S. of the arts, humanities, and sciences in the second half of the twentieth century. OSGF is located in the northern Virginia Piedmont and Blue Ridge Mountains region (ca. one-hour drive from Washington, D.C.). Led by Sir Peter Crane, the Foundation’s inaugural President, OSGF provides workshops, short courses and supports residencies for artists and scholars. Its celebrated Library comprises rare books, manuscripts and works of art relating to horticulture, landscape design, botany and natural history. It is becoming a new center of stimulation of all things botanical, from fundamental research in plant evolution and conservation, to horticultural and plant conservation practice, to the history and art of plants, gardens and landscapes.

Photo Release Statement

By attending this event, you consent to your likeness and image being used for ongoing promotional and marketing efforts.

About Lisa Waud: Lisa Waud is a botanical installation artist known for her large-scale, site-specific works that explore the intersection of nature, impermanence, and community. Rooted in her background in floral and garden design, Lisa creates immersive, ephemeral experiences using plants and flowers, often within existing architecture.

Best known for Flower House Detroit, her projects invite public engagement from planning through final installation, and are grounded in sustainability, inclusivity, and collaboration. Lisa’s work has been featured in The New York Times, Hyperallergic, Designboom, and Travel + Leisure, among others.

She has created installations for the Tony Awards, FLORA Festival in Spain, and musician Danny Brown, and has spoken at TEDxDetroit, Cranbrook Art Museum, and the Slow Flowers Summit.

Also check out other Arts events in Upperville, Workshops in Upperville, Exhibitions in Upperville.