Meet in the Winegardner Auditorium.

The Dixon is pleased to welcome Remco van Vliet as our 2009 Pheobe Cook Lecturer. Remco and his brother Cas Trap founded their event design company, Van Vliet & Trap, in New York in 1997. Born in Holland, Master Florist Remco is a third-generation floral designer. Remco worked for his father's Holland-based event design company, designing events throughout Europe for a client list that includes the Dutch royal family. In 1994, he went to New York to work with his brother at Dutch Flower Line, a flower importing company. 

Today, Remco van Vliet is the event designer for some of the most prestigious institutions in New York. After working with The Metropolitan Museum of Art's event design pioneer Chris Giftos for over six years, he succeeded him after Giftos's retirement. Remco is now responsible for the grand arrangements in The Great Hall of the Met as well as the decorations for the museum's magnificent special events. Growing up with flowers, instilled in Remco a feeling for design that stems from respect  for beauty and innate natural lines. He is known for using unusual elements in his unique designs in all media. 

The lecture will include a slide presentation floral arrangements from The Metropolitan Museum of Art and other venues. Remco will also demonstrate how to create vase arrangements, centerpieces, and a bouquet. Using different sized vases and interesting, showy flowers, Remco will show the audience how to select the right flowers and containers to make stunning compositions. Remco will also focus upon  coordinating colors and making the best use of color within and environment. 

All the arrangements will be raffled off at the end of the demonstration. 

The Phoebe Cook Lecture Series, co-sponsored by the Memphis Garden Club, a member of the Garden Club of America, and The Dixon Gallery and Gardens, brings outstanding speakers in horticulture, conservation, and floriculture to Memphis. The series is funded by gifts from Phoebe Cook Welsh in memory of her mother, Phoebe Cook. 

Free with admission.