The Floralists

The Floralists

By the Dawn’s Early Light….Schaffer Designs Delivers a Patriotic “Floral Pop-Up”

Editor’s Note: The team of Schaffer Designs will begin building their floral pop-up before 6 a.m. Press are invited to watch the development of this huge floral sculpture between 6 a.m. and 8 a.m.

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By the Dawn’s Early Light….Schaffer Designs Delivers a Patriotic “Floral Pop-Up”

A MONUMENTAL “FLORAL POP-UP” OVER 12’ TALL & 16’ WIDE
WILL BE DELIVERED TO THE FRONT LAWN OF THE
NATIONAL CONSTITUTION CENTER
TO CELEBRATE THE 225TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE CONSTITUTION
FOR ONE DAY ONLY … ON SEPTEMBER 17TH
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PRESENTED AS A GIFT TO THE NATION BY FLORAL ARTISTS FROM 46 STATES, PUERTO RICO AND THE UNITED KINGDOM, LED BY PHILADELPHIA’S VISIONARY SCHAFFER DESIGNS

Philadelphia, PA (September 7, 2012) — Bill Schaffer and Kris Kratt of Schaffer Designs, Philadelphia’s visionary floral creative team, felt their home city deserved a magnificent “bouquet” to celebrate the 225th anniversary of the Constitution of the United States. So they have designed a huge “floral pop-up” that will be delivered early on the morning of September 17th to the front lawn of the National Constitution Center. It’s over 12’ tall and 16’ wide, and it will include the work of florists from around the world whom they have invited to share in the celebration of the Constitution. This monumental patriotic “flower arrangement” inspired by the U.S. Constitution will include over 80 hand-crafted patriotic stars made from natural materials, botanicals and fibers, designed and contributed by floral artists from 46 states, Puerto Rico and the United Kingdom. This bouquet on steroids will pop up by the dawn’s early light (before 6 a.m.) and is designed to last one day only, September 17, the Constitution anniversary. Yes. One day only.

Inspired by their love of their hometown, their reverence for its history and their sheer joy in creating the unexpected, Bill Schaffer AIFD, AAF, PFCI and Kris Kratt AIFD, PFCI are presenting this monumental “floral pop up” on behalf of their professional community. It will incorporate over 3,000 red and white carnations and almost 1,000 stems of white larkspur, stock and hydrangea adorning a structure by Christian Kanienberg of Wish Painting + Sculpture of Wilmington. To watch the bouquet erected, viewers are invited to arrive before 6 a.m. near the sidewalk at 5th and Arch and witness a process that will take a crew of six approximately 2 hours to create. Then visitors and passersby can pose for photographs with the patriotic bouquet throughout the day until sundown, when it will be dismantled.

Three-time “Best of Show” winners at the renowned Philadelphia International Flower Show, Schaffer and Kratt are recognized and admired world-wide for their trend-setting approach to design, which they call “floral theater” since it involves props, structure, grand visions, and the unexpected use of living and dried botanical materials. A substantial contribution to the design has been donated by Wish Painting + Sculpture of Wilmington, Delaware, which is building the steel structural components for the huge presentation. The dollar value of this temporary installation is truly incalculable, because of the donation of the art pieces by the international floral profession; a low estimate of the creative and material costs of the piece is over $20,000.

In proposing their generous gift to the National Constitution Center during the summer of 2012, the Schaffer team learned that staff there describes the US Constitution as “an umbrella protecting the rights of our citizens,” explained Schaffer. “My wife Kris was instantly inspired. Even before they finished explaining how this imagery helps school children understand the importance of the Constitution, Kris had sketched an umbrella-type shape that conceptually drives our design. Before we were out the door, we knew we’d incorporate patriotic stars and before we hit the sidewalk, we were sure we could get participation from our floral art colleagues all over the country!” As it turned out, when Schaffer put out the call for participation via social media like his Facebook page, donors responded immediately and enthusiastically from as far away as the United Kingdom.

Although the “pop up” will be located on the lawn of the National Constitution Center, there will be an additional interior display with a close-up opportunity for museum attendees to view a few of the star designs, with signage recognizing the artists who contributed each one and information about their hometowns. It is hoped that visitors to the Center, who hail from all parts of the globe, will notice the creative pieces made in their home communities.

“The National Constitution Center is honored to have been selected as the first site in Philadelphia of a unique floral art ‘pop up’ by Bill Schaffer and Kristine Kratt,” said National Constitution Center Chief Communications Officer Margaret Cronan. “The incredible live sculptural bouquet on our front lawn will be a highlight of the celebration of the Constitution’s 225th anniversary. We are thrilled that Bill and Kris have rallied the top creative people in their profession - from coast to coast and even across the globe - to join in this important salute to our nation’s founding document.” In addition to accepting Schaffer Designs’ huge bouquet, the Center is hosting an exciting array of free events, courtesy of PwC, in honor of Constitution Day. The all-day celebration begins at 8:45 a.m. with a rousing reading of the Preamble to the U.S. Constitution on the Center’s front lawn. A complete schedule of events can be found at www.constitutioncenter.org/constitutionday.

2012 has been a great year of recognition and professional growth for the Schaffer Design team, which is headquartered in Philadelphia. Kristine Kratt will receive national industry honors for excellence in professional floral communication just one the week after the “pop up,” at an industry event taking place in Palm Beach, Florida on Sept. 22, 2012. In May 2012, they were asked to write the centerpiece feature article in Fusion Flowers, the international floral design magazine published in Scotland and one of the top magazines in their industry. They were also named as the 2013 Trendsetters in the industry by the International Floral Distributors (IFD) and will also forecast trends in October for the Wholesale Florist & Florist Supplier Association (WFFSA). Individually and as a team, Schaffer and Kratt are in hot demand as floral educators to the trade and the consumer, giving lectures and doing demonstrations throughout the United States and consulting on floral design all over the world. They are thrilled to have been commissioned to write a book that will include many of their designs and be available in March, 2013. The team also just established a new creative home, moving their production to the historic Globe Dye Works building in the Frankford section of the city.

Schaffer Designs is headquartered in Philadelphia, PA, and owners Bill Schaffer AIFD, AAF, PFCI and Kris Kratt AIFD, PFCI are recognized among the most award-winning floral design couples in America today. For more information, visit schafferdesigns.com or call 267-577-8555.
The National Constitution Center is the first and only nonprofit, nonpartisan institution devoted to the most powerful vision of freedom ever expressed: the U.S. Constitution. Located on Independence Mall in Historic Philadelphia, the birthplace of American freedom, the Center illuminates constitutional ideals and inspires active citizenship through a state-of-the-art museum experience, including hundreds of interactive exhibits, films and rare artifacts; must-see feature exhibitions; the internationally acclaimed, 360-degree theatrical production Freedom Rising; and the iconic Signers' Hall, where visitors can sign the Constitution alongside 42 life-size, bronze statues of the Founding Fathers. As America's forum for constitutional dialogue, the Center engages diverse, distinguished leaders of government, public policy, journalism and scholarship in timely public discussions and debates. The Center also houses the Annenberg Center for Education and Outreach, the national hub for constitutional education, which offers cutting-edge civic learning resources both onsite and online. Freedom is calling. Answer it at the National Constitution Center. For more information, call 215.409.6700 or visit www.constitutioncenter.org.

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Friday, September 7, 2012