Bouquets to Art returns March 2; March 3-8 exhibition at both museums

Raul Dueñas’ “colossal installation” in the Legion of Honor’s central Rodin gallery joins more than 100 botanical works as Bouquets to Art stages an Opening Night reception at the de Young tonight, March 2, with the public exhibition scheduled to run March 3-8 at both the de Young and the Legion of Honor. The event is presented by the Auxiliaries of the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco and funnels proceeds to special exhibitions, conservation, and education programs administered by the San Francisco Auxiliary.

Organizers describe this year’s scale in varying terms. FAMSF press materials say “more than 100 botanical creations will transform the museums,” while SecretSanFrancisco reports the de Young will feature 100 floral arrangements and the Legion of Honor 20, and that the exhibit is created by “over 120 floral designers.” The mix of large-scale installations, impressionist-inspired gardens in the Legion, and site-specific pairings is intended to reframe works from the museums’ permanent collections.

Schedule details show some discrepancies in advance reporting. The original event brief and FAMSF Auxiliary materials list the Opening Night reception at the de Young on March 2, and the public exhibitions March 3-8 at both museums. SecretSanFrancisco reported an Opening Night debut on Monday, March 1; the auxiliary and museum materials prioritize March 2 as the official Opening Night date. SecretSanFrancisco also notes extended de Young hours on Thursday, March 5, with the museum open 6-9 pm.

Programming blends floral design with fashion and education. The Floral Fashions program partners with City College; about 6-8 students are chosen each year to design garments that incorporate live floral material, and those fashions are modeled at Opening Night then displayed during the week of Bouquets to Art. The Patrons and Opening Night committee works with McCall’s on menu and format and manages Opening Night ticket packages at higher giving levels.

Volunteer and committee operations are extensive. Auxiliary notes list eleven committees required to stage the weeklong show and specify hospitality co-chairs for 2025-2026 as Debbie Kasper and Deborah Mann at the de Young, and Debbie Doyle and Anne Nevard at the Legion of Honor. Patrons and Opening Night co-chairs are listed as Pat Hart, Kavita Khana, Josie McGann, and Feyna Oman. The auxiliary rules state, “It is a requirement of membership that each member volunteers at the BTA event each year.”

Photographic records from prior years underscore the event’s visual reach, with images credited to Drew Altizer Photography and Randy Dodson in museum materials. As Bouquets to Art opens its March run, the combination of Raul Dueñas’ marquee Rodin gallery work, Floral Fashions from City College students, and a roster of committees and volunteers keeps the Auxiliaries’ fundraiser both a civic spectacle and a financial engine for FAMSF programming through March 8.