As Cape Town’s first spring ‘flower’ show; Daddy Bloom, came to an end on Sunday, Liz Lacey from Red Hot Glass was awarded the Judges Choice prize for her dazzling collection of life-size glass lilies. Tanya Laing’s ‘Braai Trellis’ was the overall crowd pleaser with the most public votes, which earned her the People’s Choice Award. Both winners were given R1000 in cash and an Airstream Penthouse Trailer Park stay for two. All the entrants received a special commendation for their creative work and for making the first event such a success.
Daddy Bloom opened on Thursday, 8 October after weeks of preparation on the part of the artists. Instead of real flowers, the penthouse trailer park’s live indigenous gardens sported a collection of twelve creative installations; spring gardens filled with blown glass, spirals of metal, woolly nests and beaded blossoms. Visitors were encouraged to view the displays, make a voluntary R 10 entry fee donation to the Feed Me Daddy project and stay for tea and cake in the world’s only rooftop trailer park hotel.
The owner of The Grand Daddy Hotel, Jody Aufrichtig; said “We are very proud of the submissions we received for Daddy Bloom. It reinforces the degree of creativity Cape Town has to offer. As always, it is important to have fun, and Daddy Bloom undoubtedly achieved that. We strive to create meaningful platforms for the arts and for artists, who are the magicians of our communities.”
Zayd Minty, Creative Cape Town’s co-ordinator judged the twelve exhibitions. Red Hot Glass artist, Liz Lacey’s installation immediately captured his attention. Minty judged the installations from an aesthetic perspective and felt that Liz’s creation rightfully earned her the number one spot as the winner of The Daddy Bloom Flower Show 2009.
Crowd favourite; ‘Braai Trellis’ by Tanya Laing was created by glazing paper plates and polystyrene cups making them eyecatching and suitable for outdoor display. She displayed these pieces as if they were a growing creeper, attaching them to a trellis – the collection of cups and paper plates suggested the scene of a braai, although the end result was more porcelain-perfect and ready to serve on the best tables.
The show was well received by those who saw it and voluntary donations from the event provided 111 meals to hungry children in an impoverished Transkei community. The Grand Daddy team hopes to raise sponsorship for a bigger event next year.
