Flower Flash

media release: A site-specific public art installation will soon be created Friday morning, June 4, at the Madison Public Library’s central location at 201 W. Mifflin Street. Molly Stentz is a floral artist and flower grower. For this site-specific “Madison Flower Flash, 2021”  installation, she has curated a selection of Wisconsin-grown seasonal ephemerals. This project  coincides with the library recently resuming services to the community. Fresh and vibrant florals are intertwined with the iconic Madison Public Library letters to welcome visitors back to the  library. This public art project celebrates Madison’s community resilience and vibrant spirit with a floral array that creates a wonderful artistic expression. In Molly's plan, each letter of the exterior Madison Public Library signage is embellished with bouquets of bright peonies nestled among hardy evergreens. Spires of foxglove playfully pop out from the tops of the letters and spirea branches of cascading white blossoms encircle the lettering.  

Flowers evoke a myriad of emotions and memories; thus, they are a powerful connector to  the collective human experience. So many momentous life events are shared through flowers. This installation will acknowledge the past year through a commissioned flower flash. The one-of-a-kind  expression will address a year of COVID-19 isolation, anxiety, stress, celebration, and loss. The installation is intended to be a gift to the Madison community and Madison Public Library as we emerge from this pandemic and plant new seeds for what will come next. Together we will celebrate the re-opening of the library, and the collective challenges our community and world have overcome.  

Due to the ephemeral nature of the live materials and potential weather factors, this installation will only be on view for up to 24-72 hrs. The memories, however, will last a lifetime! We hope you will make plans to visit over the weekend and enjoy this public art project with your friends, family, and neighbors. Viewing the “Flower Flash” is free and open to all starting Friday morning, June 4.

The Madison Public Art Project (MPAP) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit arts organization in Madison, Wisconsin. The MPAP fosters innovative contemporary public art projects to strengthen communities with engaging art. Supporting emerging and established artists, the Madison Public Art Project relies on corporations, grants, individual donors, community support, and in-kind contributions. Our public art installations create opportunities, provide greater visibility for artists, inspire imagination, encourage civic participation, fuel artistic development, and connect artists to local communities.

Molly Stentz is the founder and owner of Yellow Dog Flowers and Produce . She is a floral artist and local farmer. Molly has spent more than a decade working on organic farms, including a large-scale CSA and wholesale vegetable farm in southern Wisconsin, a market farm in central Illinois, and a plant nursery in the Madison area. Yellow Dog Flowers and Produce was born in 2017 to provide fresh, organic, nutritious produce and gorgeous florals to the Madison area. The farm, located in southern Dane County, is home to a rich ecosystem of flora and fauna. Unique among florists, Yellow Dog grows and cares for the plants it sells, from seed to flower- all grown pesticide free. Molly’s goal is to bring joy and health to the people of southern Wisconsin, the place she calls  home, and to inspire a reverence for and wonder in the natural world.   

The Madison Public Library's tradition of promoting education, literacy, and community involvement has enriched the City of Madison for more than 140 years. The Central Library is open 10am-6pm Monday-Friday and 12-5pm on Saturdays. All 9 library locations are currently open for in-person browsing, pick-up of holds, computer service and in-person reference. The Madison Public Library is part of the Dane County Seed Library and hopes this Flower Flash will encourage  people to try growing their own flowers, food and more. Visitors can get free seed packets for a variety of flowers, herbs and produce from Lakeview or Goodman South Madison libraries to spark their own gardening projects. 

*Project commissioned and funding made possible by the Madison Public Art Project.