AMFA to Host Royal Floral Designer Shane Connolly for a Series of Sustainable Floristry Events

A Reception, Talk, and Workshop Are Presented in Partnership with P. Allen Smith’s Moss Mountain Farm and the Little Rock Garden Club

The Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts (AMFA), in partnership with P. Allen Smith’s Moss Mountain Farm and the Little Rock Garden Club, ;announces a series of special events featuring internationally-renowned floral design expert Shane Connolly are to take place October 24-25, 2025, at the museum in downtown Little Rock. These events include a cocktail reception, an interactive talk and demonstration, and a masterclass workshop focused on the art of arranging seasonal flowers and foliage using local resources and sustainable practices. Tickets to all three events are on sale now at arkmfa.org.

“In addition to calling MacArthur Park home, the Museum’s landscaped grounds and outdoor sculpture provide a constant sense of relationship to nature and the outdoors,” shares AMFA’s executive director, Dr. Victoria Ramirez. “Shane Connolly’s unique expertise will undoubtedly provide new insights and an abundance of inspiration for our guests. We are very thankful for our partners who made his exciting visit possible.”

London-based floral designer and sustainable floristry ambassador Connolly creates artisan floral arrangements and decorations for clients ranging from public institutions like the Victoria & Albert Museum, the Royal Academy of Arts, and the National Portrait Gallery in London, to a veritable “who’s who” of British society. He is perhaps best known for his public work for The Royal Family.

Connolly’s most recent commission was The Coronation of Their Majesties The King and Queen at Westminster Abbey in 2023. He also designed the flowers for their marriage at Windsor Castle in 2005 and for the wedding of The Prince and Princess of Wales in 2011. He was awarded the Royal Warrants of Appointment to both His Majesty The King and Her Majesty The Queen in 2024 and a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) for services to sustainable floristry in 2025.

“Shane Connolly’s philosophy of sustainable floristry and botanical displays reflects the values of our state: respect for the land, appreciation for natural beauty, and an eye toward stewardship,” explains Allen Smith, acclaimed garden designer and owner of Moss Mountain Farm. “His use of native plants is especially meaningful here, as it echoes our own tradition of working in harmony with the landscapes we love and call home.”

Connolly’s visit to AMFA begins on Friday, October 24, 2025, from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. with a cocktail reception in the museum’s Cultural Living Room. The event features seasonal floral arrangements created by local designers in response to the museum’s architecture, and guests each receive a signed copy of Connolly’s latest book, A Year in Flowers: Inspiration for Everyday Living. Tickets are $80 and available online at events.arkmfa.org.

On Saturday, October 25, 2025, at 10:30 a.m., Connolly gives an interactive talk and live, on-stage floral design demonstration inspired by Arkansas’s natural beauty. A breakfast reception for ticket holders begins at 10:00 a.m. in the Atrium. Tickets are $100 and available online at events.arkmfa.org.

That afternoon from 2:00 to 5:00 p.m., Connolly leads an intimate, hands-on floral design masterclass in AMFA’s Amerine/Calhoun Glass Box. For $180 or $150 for AMFA members, all materials are provided. Registration is required at events.arkmfa.org.

“The Little Rock Garden Club is proud to support AMFA and their commitment to programming such as these Shane Connolly events, which serve to underscore the connection between art and the natural environment in our community,” says Jeanne Joyner, president of the Little Rock Garden Club.

SPONSORS

Cocktail Reception with Shane Connolly is supported in part by Barbara Rogers Hoover, Belinda Shults, and Hadidi Rug Gallery. This programming is provided in partnership with P. Allen Smith’s Moss Mountain Farm and the Little Rock Garden Club.

From the Woods and Gardens of Arkansas: A Conversation and Demonstration is supported in part by Barbara Rogers Hoover, Belinda Shults, and Hadidi Rug Gallery. This programming is provided in partnership with P. Allen Smith’s Moss Mountain Farm and the Little Rock Garden Club.

About the Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts

Founded in 1937, the Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts is the largest cultural institution of its kind in the state, offering a unique blend of visual and performing arts experiences. AMFA is committed to featuring diverse media and artistic perspectives within its permanent collection as well as through rotating temporary exhibitions. AMFA’s international collection spans eight centuries, with strengths in works on paper and contemporary craft, and includes notable holdings by artists from Arkansas, the South, and across the United States and Europe.

With a vibrant mix of ideas, cultures, people, and places, AMFA extends this commitment to diversity through the innovative Windgate Art School, a dynamic children’s theatre and performing arts program, and community-focused educational programs for all ages. Located in Little Rock’s oldest urban green space, MacArthur Park, AMFA’s landmark building and grounds are designed by Studio Gang and SCAPE, in collaboration with Polk Stanley Wilcox Architects.