Au Revoir, Bonnard: Local Floral Artist Leads Final Bonnard Salon

Erich Brubaker, Public Programs Assistant, on the final Bonnard Salon with Karen Massalley. 

Participants eagerly gathered on May 31 to participate in the last installation of Bonnard Salon presentations: a floral arranging workshop led by local businesswoman, designer, artist, and floral veteran, Karen Crawford Massalley. Massalley has run her own shop, Massalley Designs, co-founded with her husband Abraham, since 2020. She spoke to about 20 visitors in the art workshop, recalling her upbringing in the rural south and her connection to Pierre Bonnard. She compared her sitting under a magnolia tree in the summer to Bonnard’s walks in savage nature, and her love of wildflowers to Bonnard’s vibrant and lush compositions, referencing Bonnard’s 1936 painting “The Garden.” Then, the participants made their own floral arrangements, cutting and placing stems of flowers—both cultivated and foraged, including mint from Massalley’s own garden, miniature daisies, and rosemary—into small mason jars. The end results were unique, bright, earthy, and pleasing: just like Bonnard’s many paintings of both wild and cut flowers. 

“My artistic philosophy when creating floral arrangements is similar to Pierre Bonnard’s,” Massalley says. After growing up in South Caolina, Massalley attended the Art Institute of Philadelphia, and has worked in the floral industry for over 30 years. “As a child, I was always intrigued with nature and its beauty,” Massalley explains. “I love wildflowers because they grow freely and flourish unbothered in the colorful landscapes. Their seeds spread with the wind. Wildflowers represents the true essence of this magnificent earth.” 

She encouraged the participants to mix the colors, textures, and shapes of wildflowers with cultivated flowers like spray roses and carnations (which she considers underrated). “I love to use flowers that are bold and colorful. Flowers and wildflowers that have unique textures, shapes, and forms. I want my creations to be visually stimulating.” Similarly, bursting from Bonnard’s paintings are swirling organic shapes, bright earthy colors (especially yellow), and raw nature. 

This lively, amazing-smelling, exuberant workshop was the perfect finale to the Bonnard Salon programs, which gave weekly opportunities for participants to engage with different topics related to the Bonnard’s Worlds exhibition. This program really allowed people to both explore their creativity and see the Bonnard paintings in a new way. The Bonnard Salon was imagined by Ashley Whitfield, Head of Public Programming, as a regular chance for patrons to come to the Phillips and have a space to be creative, interact with art, and learn new things about the museum and the exhibition. The Salon covered topics ranging from framing to conservation to archival management, and including workshops, a nature walk, and drawing and poetry writing exercises. The Phillips Collection would like to thank Karen Massalley and all who led and participated in these special, intimate experiences.