Museum Day 2021
By Louise Irvine Museum Day was a huge success at WMODA thanks to the promotion by the Smithsonian magazine which attracted visitors from all over South Florida. The response was so great that we had to cap the number of guests to be COVID cautious. There was a steady stream
Ardmore Safari Dance
By Louise Irvine Dancing with Elephants is an award-winning book that celebrates mindfulness and joyful ways to live by facing up to the proverbial elephant in the room. It is important to find the humor in life during challenging times and at WMODA we find joy in the gentle giants
Who’s Who – Sergio Gnesin
Animalia, our latest exhibition of Murano glass animals, is presented by Sergio Gnesin who has worked with WMODA since 2018. His first selling exhibition The Magic of Murano introduced WMODA visitors to vintage Venetian glass and he has kept the museum shop well stocked with beautiful designs by modern maestros
My Big Five Safaris
By Louise Irvine There is nothing more exhilarating than watching animals in the wild, particularly the Big Five in the African bush. I have been privileged to go on safari several times during my visits to South Africa and these memorable experiences have inspired the Ardmore exhibitions at WMODA, including A Safari for the Soul and the Big Five Safari.
Who’s Who – Italianissimo
Italian Murano glass is in the spotlight this month with the opening of the Animalia selling exhibition presented by Sergio Gnesin. We are also highlighting the work of Diane and Mauro Gennaretti, the founders of Italianissimo, who specialize in wearable glass art from Murano. See their spectacular collection in the
A Potted History of Jardinières
By Louise Irvine Victorian ladies used flowers as a means of covert communication and a Language of Flowers bloomed alongside a growing interest in botany among women. Flower gardening was considered appropriate for feminine sensibilities and women laid out flower gardens or tended potted plants in their parlors. 19th-century potteries
Clarice Cliff – A Colorful Life
By Louise Irvine The life of Clarice Cliff, the celebrated Art Deco ceramic designer, is being brought to the big screen by Phoebe Dynevor, who shot to fame in Bridgerton. The upcoming feature film, The Colour Room, is described as “the journey of a determined, working-class woman as she breaks
Tea with a Twist
By Louise Irvine Whimsical teapots in the form of animals have been entertaining us at teatime for centuries and the Ardmore artists continue to make unique designs today in South Africa. Their Big Five teapot is a highlight of our new Safari scavenger hunt. Trophies of a lion, leopard, elephant,
Strut into WMODA
By Louise Irvine Cinderella’s glass slippers have been upstaged at WMODA by Stern’s Stilettos in glass. The Miami glass artist was inspired by his wife’s shoe collection, which includes hundreds of pairs by designers such as Manola Blahnik, Jimmy Choo, and Alexander McQueen. Strut into WMODA to see Rob Stern’s
The Mannequin Project
By Louise Irvine Mannequins have been a feature of WMODA exhibitions since A Flair for Fashion in 2014 when the museum began celebrating fashion and the Fired Arts. Initially, mannequins were just vehicles for displaying the creations of the designers. Now they have become works of art thanks to an