By Louise Irvine Sunflowers have a poignant significance right now as they are the national flower of Ukraine. Awareness of the association between sunflowers and Ukraine has grown since the invasion on February 24 and the seeds are being planted around the world as symbols of solidarity. Glass artist Anne

by Louise Irvine The fragility of the human condition is the inspiration behind Helen Nottage’s Dialogue. Her contemporary clay sculptures at WMODA intrigue many visitors and inspire interesting conversations. What secret is the woman whispering to her partner? You need to look inside her body to see her condition. The

By Louise Irvine The American Orchid Society is celebrating its Centennial this month in Florida with a gala at the Biltmore Hotel and exhibits at Fairchild Botanical Gardens. The society’s dedication to orchid conservation continues unabated after 100 years as deforestation has led to the disappearance of many orchids in

By Louise Irvine The theme of Earth Day 2022 is Invest in our Planet. A green future is a prosperous future and it needs everyone to create a partnership for the planet and restore nature. Since moving to Florida from New York, artist Jenna Efrein is particularly concerned about the

By Louise Irvine April Fool’s Day is a fun time to review all the fools and jesters in the Carnival & Cabaret exhibition at WMODA. Opinion is divided on whether April 1 pranks are cruel hoaxes or whether they encourage laughter which reduces stress. Either way, poking fun and exposing

By Louise Irvine Our latest Ardmore acquisition inspired some more research into hippo history. For instance, did you know that the oldest captive hippopotamus in America lives at Florida’s Homossasa Springs Wildlife Park and he is an honorary citizen of the State? Lu, which is short for Lucifer, was born

By Louise Irvine Wearable glass art has become a feature of WMODA events since Chelsea Rousso’s Believe the Impossible fashion show in January launched the International Year of Glass. Chelsea’s “glasskinis” and corsets have now been filmed for Deco Drive on Channel 7 together with her glittering tiaras. However, the

Hop along to WMODA and discover how rabbits came to be associated with Easter time. It all stems from the confusion between rabbits and hares, which were sacred to Eastre, the Anglo-Saxon Goddess of Spring. Ritual hare hunts were held to placate Eastre which were challenging events as hares can

by Louise Irvine In International Women’s Month, our story of fashion and the fired arts continues at WMODA with a closer look at corsets. Since the Renaissance era, the corset has been one of most notorious and controversial garments in a woman’s wardrobe. Was it an unhealthy instrument of torture

by Louise Irvine On World Wildlife Day, we are reflecting on the appalling statistics that over a million species of wild fauna and flora are threatened with extinction having been classified as threatened or critically endangered. Continued loss of species, habitats and ecosystems threatens all life on Earth, including us.