The winning design for the AIFD Foundation’s 2020 “Just Make It Pretty” contest by René Van Rems AIFD. Photo courtesy of the AIFD Foundation.
The American Institute of Floral Designers Foundation’s “Just Make It Pretty” contest not only celebrates the elements of design, but it also raises money towards endowing a fund in honor of the late artist, author and instructor, Matt Wood, AIFD.
And this year, the foundation is hopeful that entries will push the fund to endowment.
“We’re just a few thousand dollars away,” says Lynn Lary McLean, CEO of the foundation. “Contest entries really contribute to scholarships being given in perpetuity.”
The deadline to enter the contest, which is in its second year, is Sept. 30.
Once endowed, the Matt Wood AIFD Fund will provide scholarships to support continuing education for floral designers through the existing S.H.I.N.E. program, which matches awardees with a week-long mentorship in the floral industry, McLean says. The S.H.I.N.E. scholarship program, which stands for “Scholarships Help Inspire Nurturing Education” are already being awarded through three of the foundation’s other funds established in honor of industry icons, Michi Burrell, Bobbie Ecker Blatchford and Joe Smith.
“They were all mentors to many of us and we are passing on that concept of mentorship,” says Charlie Groppetti, who helped establish S.H.I.N.E. and is the development chair for the Matt Wood fund.
The Roots of ‘Pretty’
The Just Make It Pretty contest aims to capture one of the stories Wood often recounted from early in his career when he wanted to establish his own style of design. Wood sought advice from designer Joe Smith, who simply said, “Just make it pretty.”
“It’s a southern-grown saying that’s gone universal,” Groppetti says. “There are so many techniques and trends to keep up with, but this is reminding us, let’s keep it simple and accessible and pass on this tradition that inherently art should be pretty, flowers should be pretty.”
While the definition of “pretty” may vary, the contest does have established rules and criteria for judging the designs. A jury of five will qualify entries for design, theme, and compliance with contest rules. All qualified designs will be judged on form, color, texture, proportion and scale, harmony and unity, rhythm, balance, emphasis, and theme, McLean says.
Groppetti is eager to see how contestants interpret this year’s theme, “Roots of Inspiration.” The theme aims to capture Wood’s hometown roots in Mississippi and the literal use of roots as a botanical element, he says.
Focusing on Continuing Education
At the heart of both the contest and the S.H.I.N.E. scholarship program is the foundation’s desire to support ongoing learning and education in the floral industry, McLean says. All contest participants will receive comments from the judges so they can learn from their entries.
The foundation has awarded four, $3,150 S.H.I.N.E. scholarships. Recipients are paired with a mentor and the scholarship money is used to cover travel expenses and provide an honorarium payment to the recipient.
The first S.H.I.N.E recipient, Marcela López-Vallejo, AIFD, PFCI, head designer at P&F Flower Farms, spent a week in August in Little Rock, Arkansas, with Groppetti and Todd Smith, owners of the home furnishing company Porch View Homes. They gave her valuable insight into their creative process, López-Vallejo says.
“They are creating all day, every day,” López-Vallejo says. “When we were having lunch, they would have new ideas for products. I’ve never been surrounded by people who are every day creating.”
Since returning to her home in South Carolina she says she has already been able to apply some of the lessons in product development to her own work.
“It was a great opportunity, and I think that week is going to end up being very important in my career,” she says.
Groppetti says as a mentor he also walked away learning and valuing the experience.
“In some ways it was more of an idea-exchange program,” he says.
Sarah Sampson is a contributing writer for the Society of American Florists.
