Philadelphia Flower Show--February 28-March 8, 2026

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MY EXHIBIT AT THE PHILADELPHIA FLOWER SHOW IS TAKING SHAPE!  

I'LL BET YOU'RE WONDERING. . .WHO IS ESMERALDA??  

FOLLOW ALONG HERE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE BUCKS CCC EXHIBIT.  THE "WHY" AND "WHO" ANSWERS HERE!!

I'LL BE SHARING HOW MY PROCESS  EVOLVED FROM BEGINNING TO END--THE "BACKSTORY" OF HOW AN EXHIBIT IS CREATED.  NO SECRETS!

1/4/25

ROOTED: THE ORIGINS OF AMERICAN GARDENING--THEME OF THE 2026 PHILA. FLOWER SHOW.  THE "ROOTS" OF THE ART AND FLORAL ART PROGRAM AT BUCKS CCC LIE WITH STELLA ELKINS TYLER.   "ROOTED IN ART" EMPHASIZES HER LEGACY.  

WHO WAS STELLA??  A PHILANTHROPIST, A SCULPTOR BEGINNING AT AGE 50, A WEALTHY SOCIALITE, A MOTHER, A PIANIST, A CAT-LOVER.  

BUT WHO  WAS SHE IN SPIRIT?  MY QUEST BEGINS. . .

1/6/25

A VISIT TO TYLER HALL ON THE CAMPUS OF BUCKS COUNTY COMMUNITY COLLEGE WOULD SURELY YIELD SOME INFO.  STELLA AND HER HUSBAND BUILT THE MANSION AND I WENT LOOKING FOR CLUES.  THE HOME WAS GRAND WITH 60 ROOMS, 20 FIREPLACES, A TURNTABLE FOR  10 CARS, AND ARGUABLY THE LAST LARGE MANSION BUILT IN THE US.  STILL, I WAS LOOKING FOR A CLUE--SOMETHING SHE DECORATED, SOMETHING THAT WOULD TELL ME WHAT SHE ADMIRED, WHAT MOTIVATED HER, SOMETHING THAT MADE HER SMILE.  I WAS SOON TO FIND IT!!

1/12/25

I entered the "game room," an octagonal room where Stella kept her 50 exotic birds.   One wall is windows.  Seven walls are covered with large wallpaper images of Esmeralda, the gypsy French girl who is the heroine of Victor Hugo's The Hunchback of Notre Dame .  So who was Esmeralda and what influence did she have on Stella, so much so that Stella decided to immortalize her on seven large wallpaper panels??  What was so special about her??    

The research began!!

1/13/25

So where to begin?  Google, of course!  After reading multiple renditions, including the Hugo original, three words kept resonating with me. . .RESILIENCE

DETERMINATION

GENEROSITY

AI says:

Esmeralda is a beloved fictional character from Victor Hugo's novel The Hunchback of Notre-Dame,  known as a kind, courageous Romani dancer and humanitarian who befriends the deformed bell-ringer Quasimodo and stands against injustice, often accompanied by her goat Djali, embodying themes of beauty, compassion, and freedom. Her story highlights her defiance of cruel authority figures, and her secret identity as a stolen French child.

THESE were the essence of Esmeralda's Spirit.  And in reading about Stella Elkins Tyler's life, she embodied and lived by these principles, too.  

I made an artistic leap.  Stella admired Esmeralda and her spirit.  Stella overcame  the many difficulties in her life  through her spirit of resilience and moved forward through her adoption of sculpture at age 50.  

I decided to create Esmeralda's spirit.  Oh, what a brave (??) move on my part!  How to create a  beautiful transparent, very tall piece became the thing of dreams, sleepless nights, sketches, Chat GPT.