Florists, students called on for Fresno home show contests

Can you make garden artwork out of metal, or create a floral arrangement into the shape of a car?

The annual Fresno Home & Garden Show is presenting two competitions this year that definitely test creativity and imagination — a floral art competition for professional florists and a garden art competition for amateur student artists in high school or college.

Those who enter the competitions will have their artwork displayed at this year’s show, which will be held March 5-7 at the Fresno Fairground. Cash prizes also will be awarded to the top three places in each competition. More than 29,000 people attended the three-day show last year.

Julie Geistlinger, owner of the Fresno Home & Garden Show, says the new competitions are designed to promote the central San Joaquin Valley’s floral industry as well as budding student artists.

“In a slow economy, we want to build up the different industries,” says Geistlinger, who has an office in Granite Bay. “The show is a forum for bringing in young artists, and the public gets to enjoy seeing that.”

The garden art competition has a gardens/flowers/landscapes theme. The artwork can be created in traditional mediums, such as watercolor, charcoal, chalk and oil on canvas and paper, or with other mediums, such as metal and ceramic. Submitted artwork will be displayed. Cash prizes will be $500 for first place, $250 for second place and $150 for third place.

“Students can really shine in what they want to do,” Geistlinger says. “It can also be three-dimensional. For the budding artist, it gives them an opportunity in other forms. This can get their careers kicked off.”

The floral art competition has an open theme, which allows florists to arrange flowers into practically anything. The arrangements will be displayed on white tables. Cash prizes will be $1,000 for first place, $500 for second and $250 for third.

Geistlinger says those wanting to enter either competition need to send their name and contact information via e-mail to julie@fresnoshows.com. Information will be e-mailed back. There is no entry deadline.

Details: (800) 897-7899.