O R C H I D
E X H I B I Ts |
I d
e a B o o k
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| Use this Idea Book as inspiration
for your next exhibit or as examples of do's and
don'ts. We make no attempt to be
objective and all opinions are those of the editor. If you click on a thumbnail photo a large photo will appear in a pop-up window - please close the pop-up before proceeding. |
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This exhibit was
one of the first 100sq ft exhibits I chaired for our
local society. It appeared in the 1983 Miami Show and was
realistically modeled after an exposed rocky orchid
habitat, a chapada. I spent a month making fake
rocks. Nice realistic exhibit but - where's the
orchids ?
Orchids must predominate ! |
| I have sympathy for all show
committe members who have to come up with a 'theme' for
their annual shows. The 'theme' ends up being nothing
more than some lame title for the program that has the
words Fantasy or Adventure in it. |
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In 1991 we put
this 100sq ft exhibit in the Ft. Lauderdale show - I
think the theme was some sort of Adventure. Anyway,
we got a little naughty and had the clothing of our two
adventurers strewn about as they chased each other down
the disappearing path. It was the first time we used
bananna plants for foliage and were extremely pleased
with the look they imparted to an exhibit. |
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A year later we
did this exhibit for our society at the Ft.Lauderdale
show. We did not receive any recognition for our efforts
but the exhibit brought a lot of favorable coomments. I
believe the show theme was 'Orchid Paradise' and our
exhibit was 'Two Tickets to Paradise' (there are indeed
two tickets on the little table). This type exhibit may
have done better in an area of the country that was more
open to the use of props than South Florida is. Empty
picture frames are a nice way to set off a special orchid |
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A single large
prop provides a focal point for this exhibit. These large
props can be created out of blocks of styofoam and
painted (waterbase paint please) to look just like
ancient ruins, stucco or whatever. Done in sections, the
light weight make transport easy. The path leads the eye
nicely into the exhibit, however a diagonal entry (rather
than center) would have created more movement. More
flowers would have given a better score - this is a
problem that out-of-town exhibitors face.
EFG Orchids, Miami 1997 |
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Lindsay, Fulford
& Triana won First Place in the 150sq ft class with
this nicely done exhibit. The irregular shape adds
interest. High quality flowers from diverse genera
contributed to the high score.
Miami 1997 |
| All the props and display skills in
the world will not yield an award-winning exhibit if you
don't have the flowers - first and foremost is the
quality and quantity of flowers. These are supposed to
be orchid exhibits ! |
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Clever use of a
crate provides another level for staging this tabletop
display.
Delray Beach 1998 |
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This beautiful
exhibit made you feel as if you were in the garden of a
hacienda - and all in 56sq ft !. The
nicely done styrofoam prop provides many nooks and
crannies for display on several different levels giving
the exhibitors a broad canvas to work with. The exhibit
was an eye-catcher at the small Naples OS show in 1998.
Kudos to hobbyists Joe & Dot Brzoza and Marc &
Peggy Oberlin who received the AOS Show Trophy for their
efforts. |
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Baskets can
provide a useful way to group several plants of miniature
orchids as was done with this selection of Den.
cuthbertsonii. The white name tags are extremely
distracting from these beautiful little jewels, they
deserve better. Points would have been deducted here in
South Florida.
East West Orchid Show, Los Angeles 1998 |
| Different regions have different
traditions as far as exhibits. Some are more tolerant of
the use of props, there are pet peeves in other regions.
If you are a first-time exhibitor be sure to familiarize
yourself with local custom. |
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Painted
backgrounds have been used to good effect in recent years.
Not only can they provide additional depth but suggest a
mood or a theme as well. Of course, it wasn't the painted
background that garnered Carib Plants the AOS Show Trophy
at the 1998 Deerfield Beach OS Show. Exceptional quality
flowers and effective color flow caught the judges'
attention. Display by Richard Fulford. |
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Clever use of
large diameter rope makes effective edging and large
cypress knees add interest. Unfortunately the flowers
were too sparse too gain attention.
Orchid World International, Ft. Lauderdale 1998 |
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This beautiful
exhibit demanded attention as viewers contemplated the
orchids growing out of dinner plates. The greater
acceptance of props on the west coast encourages this
kind of creativity.
East West Orchid Show, Los Angeles 1998 |
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Important aspects
of any floor exhibit are height and depth. Either can be
real or perceived, a successful exhibit maximizes both.
This display mimics a cliff face in a rainforest and uses
driftwood and foliage to acheive height in a tiny 56sq ft
hobby exhibit. Nicely done by Martin Fisher and Terry
Pulver at the 1998 Naples OS Show. |
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This was one of
my favorite exhibits at the 1998 Miami Show. Put in by
Selby Gardens it won the educational class, although it
had far broader appeal. The setting is a research camp in
the Tropical Americas - orchids were being identified and
cataloged. Complete with chirping tree frogs.
Beautiful
! |
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Although cut
flower exhibits are generally thought of as being at a
disadvantage...it is easier to make dense groupings of
flowers when you don't have pots and plants to contend
with. Beautiful display of cuts by the Guatemala OS in
Miami, 1998. Sparse use of props (bamboo) as a design
element adds to the effect and lets the flowers stand
out. |
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Table top
exhibits can take many forms. This wardian case has time
on its side - the exhibitor could spend as much as
neccessary to get things 'just right' without worrying
about exhibit hall time limits, and then transport the
completed exhibit to the show.
"A Little Enchanted Garden"
Ann Anderson
Miami 1998
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Want to see more exhibits? Here's
PAGE TWO of the Idea Book
Another online resource for
additional exhibit photos is:
Steve Saunder's
Orchid Society of Nova Scotia
Virtual Orchid Show
AOS point scale /
master class /
how much do I need ? /
checklist /
color flow /
show schedule /
back to the Orchid Photo Page / send
mail
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