MONTCLAIR, N.J.- The Montclair Art Museum (MAM) will celebrate spring with a festival of fine art and flowers, Art in Bloom. The exhibition and fund-raising celebration will include a five-day display of beautiful and unique floral arrangements designed to complement more than 30 works of American and Native American art from the Museum's permanent collection galleries and a special exhibition, Edward Weston: A Legacy from May 11th through May 15th, 2005.

The Exhibition - 30 designers from 25 garden clubs from New Jersey and beyond will create floral interpretations of art works that will be exhibited in the galleries for the duration of the exhibition. Works will include Edward Willard Deming's dramatic Grass Dance, Martin Johnson Heade's depiction of the New Jersey Meadowlands, Gathering Hay in the Salt Marshes, Charles Willson Peale's portrait of General George Washington, William Merritt Chase's A Tambourine Player (Mrs. Chase as a Spanish Dancer), Old Man's Afternoon by New York artist Will Barnet, Andy Warhol's early silk-screen painting Twelve Cadillacs, Pueblo Maiden, a sculpture by Native American artist Arlo Namingha, and works by George Inness.

Highlighting this year's Art in Bloom experience is a special lecture, luncheon and book-signing with internationally recognized floral designer Ron Morgan on Thursday, May 12th at 11 a.m. With more than 25 years of experience and training in the fine arts, Morgan has mastered his talent for combining unusual plants with extraordinary containers. The book-signing will feature The Center of Attention, Morgan's latest publication which focuses on floral center pieces.