Date: Fri 30-Apr-1999

Publication: Bee

Author: SHANNO

Quick Words:

Garden-Club-Carey-Rowe

Full Text:

A Little Constructive Criticism

(with photo)

BY SHANNON HICKS

Traditionally, when the Garden Club of Newtown holds its monthly meetings in

the community room of Newtown United Methodist Church, members are invited to

have lunch and then conduct a business meeting.

For its April meeting, the club decided to hold a mini flower show with

entries by club members in addition to its regular agenda. Members were

invited to create an arrangement using artwork of their choosing for

inspiration.

The club invited Sherry Sanelli to serve as judge for the show. Ms Sanelli, a

Woodbury resident, is a sanctioned National Council of State Garden Clubs

judge. She is also a member of Creative Arrangers of Connecticut, a club she

described as "the best possible place to learn about critiques and

arrangements, because we all create arrangements and then [verbally] pick them

apart to judge each other's work."

The garden club show was presented Tuesday, April 27, with nearly a dozen

entries. Members had to use all fresh or dry materials. Nothing artificial was

allowed, nor were potted plants to be used in the constructions. Members were

required to list all plant materials that were used in their arrangements, and

Latin names were preferred but not required.

The show was not meant to be a competition between the club's members.

Instead, the members who had entered their creations were urged to use any of

Ms Sanelli's comments as guidelines. Her notes and verbal assessments were

meant to be constructive criticism and praise only.

"Please do not take anything I say personally," Ms Sanelli urged the group.

While the arrangements were not given points, Ms Sanelli explained how points

would have been broken up if it had been an actual show. The arrangements, she

said, would have been evaluated by their artistic concept and expression (how

well the entry followed a given theme), distinction, and principles of design,

all following the guidelines set forth in The Handbook For Flower Shows

published by the National Council of State Garden Clubs, Inc.

The garden club does not have a particular show it is getting ready for, club

member Ginny Carey told The Bee after the critique session concluded. Instead,

a workshop/program such as the one held this week allows members to hone their

talents with assigned themes.

The garden club occasionally participates in National Council events,

including the state's largest show every spring in Hartford. The club has also

presented its own special events, such as "A Colonial Day," a one-day event

with thematic arrangements in Newtown's historic Matthew Curtiss House held

last June. Entries were also judged by certified officials for that

exhibition.

The club, when invited to do so, may also participate in similar events hosted

by other garden clubs. Having a judge visit for an afternoon of critiques is

perfect training for all such events, Mrs Carey explained.

At the conclusion of the April 27 meeting, Garden Club president Nancy Rowe

and member Pat Benkovich presented a check to Carol Garbarino, a fellow club

member who is also on the board of the Newtown Scholarship Association. The

check was presented on behalf of the Garden Club of Newtown, to be given to a

graduating senior who plans to study horticulture, environmental sciences or a

related field.

The club hopes to make such a scholarship donation an annual event, Mrs Rowe

said.