IRVINGTON — Spring is finally here, and the gardens of Irvington are a riot of blooms, so the Bona is celebrating with a Wallflower exhibit. The exhibit will be on display through Aug. 29. The Bona Thompson Memorial Center is located at 5350 University Ave. in Irvington. Hours are Wednesdays 1-3 p.m., Saturdays and Sundays 1-4 p.m. The Bona will be closed on May 27 to observe Memorial Day.
Thanks to the Irvington Garden Club, there will be an exhibit of the tools of the gardeners’ trade on display. Also, on display are a dozen years’ worth of the Irvington Garden Tour posters along with the original artwork for several of those posters, as created by current Irvington artists.
The walls of the Lena Alice Pavey-Morrow Gallery showcase some of the Irvington Historical Society’s permanent art collection, plus pieces on loan from current Irvington artists, such as Rita Spalding, Laura Hildreth and Kathleen Biale. Works drawn from the Society’s permanent collection includes works by the Irvington artists such as Hilah Wheeler, Roger Frey, and Charles Townsend, as well as those by other Indiana artists Wilma Sonnefield and Bess Kern.
Hanging spectacularly over the exhibit is the Howe High School Violet Queen’s Cape. A version of this golden cape stenciled with violets along its 12-foot long train was worn by the Violet Queen as she acknowledged the student achievements for the year, between 1939 and 1963. The cape was brought out once again, in 1988, for the school’s 50th anniversary.
This year’s Irvington Garden Tour takes place on Sunday, June 25, from 1-5 pm. Tickets are available for sale at a number of Irvington locations.
The Bona will be open during the Garden Tour, Admission to the Bona is always free.
