Bodega Bouquets | Eerdmans Hosts Garden Soirée in Honor of Provocative Floral Exhibit

If you’ve been plowing through the seasons thinking that flowers, of all things, could never be political—vaunted New York City tastemakers are here to show you otherwise. 

Eerdmans, a beloved emporium and archive of high-art and interior decor in the Greenwich Village, opened its doors on Tuesday for an invite-only garden soirée celebrating their newest exhibit called Bodega Bouquets. 

The contemporary collection of lush pencil drawings by the New York native artist-writer-gardener Abbie Zabar, in essence, commemorates the often overlooked flower arrangements dotting the shelves of delis and supermarkets that lend an unexpected explosion of color and delicate foliage to nearly every city block, transforming our concrete jungle tapestry into an aesthetic feast.

Zabar’s twenty hand-drawn perennial blooms portrayed in mason jars against a muted gray backdrop include tulips, zinnias, hyacinths, feverfews, dahlias, lily of the valley, and chrysanthemums. They visually and conceptually defy the pretension associated with lavish flower bouquets, as viewers are implored to appreciate simple, inconsequential florals through the intentional eyes of a revered horticulturalist.

Hosted by owner Emily Eerdman and her husband Andrew McKeon the convivial opening reception was met with light fare and an evocative lavender sangria infused with frozen peaches, strawberries, and oranges that facilitated the merriment.

Guests got an exclusive sneak peek of the 9” x 11” frames that reconsider the concept of flowers as ornamentation. 

The show, on view by appointment until May 26th, draws its inspiration from Zabar’s decade-spanning commissions for the classical floral installations of the Great Hall in the Metropolitan Museum of Art. But as an antithesis of sorts. 

Eerdmans now offers virtual tours on the gallery homepage. Available works by the artist can be purchased here.