The flowers bloomed early in New England when The Boston Flower & Garden Show debuted at the Seaport World Trade Center, March 24-28, with Scharff Weisberg Lighting supporting lighting designer Nancy Goldstein and her work with 25 professional garden and landscape exhibitors.
Goldstein, who heads Nancy Goldstein Design, LLC in Marblehead, Massachusetts, is known for dramatic lighting for landscapes, interiors, theater and events. She's no stranger to lighting flower shows having honed her skills in that arena by working on The New England Spring Flower Show for 16 years.
Following a year without a major flower show in town, The Boston Flower & Garden Show launched in March with the theme "A Feast for the Senses," encouraging visitors to explore new ways to add color, texture, sound and scent to the garden.
Goldstein was charged with tailoring lighting design for more than two dozen major exhibitors, each showcasing a garden in a particular time and place. "I helped them support with lighting their statement of intent, such as 'an early June garden, late in the day,' which was posted for the judges to see," she explains. "I had to think about key lighting, the color of sky light and how to complement rather than fight the colors of the flowers. The whole needed to look vibrant but also natural." The gardens she lit ranged from a welcoming patio capped by a pergola to a leafy green glade peppered with sculpture.
Having known Scharff Weisberg vice president of sales Chris McMeen for a number of years, Goldstein decided to get the company involved in the new flower show. "Chris was extremely supportive throughout the process, and the fact that Scharff Weisberg is in New York was never a problem. If I ordered something that couldn't be easily shipped, Chris got in the car and drove it up himself. He promised and delivered."
Goldstein specified about 500 fixtures, primarily ETC Source 4 PARs plus Source 4 ellipsoidals and an array of ARRI 1K and 2K fresnels, including ARRI Studio 1K fresnels that were deployed as downlights. Scharff Weisberg also furnished box truss and rigging.
"The lights were very impressive - no old fixtures!" she notes. "Everything worked perfectly, and when we started burning color and needed gel extenders Chris got them to us the next morning."
Goldstein's lighting manager Mike Gottke points out that "although there were 25 different gardens and lighting designs, from my end it was like one huge, complex design project. We were working in a new hall with ceiling obstacles, and sometimes the gardens changed as the landscapers revised their plans. I needed to make sure everyone got what they needed and keep everybody happy. It was great to be able to rely on Scharff Weisberg for all the equipment."
Goldstein reports that she was "extremely pleased with our partnership with Scharff Weisberg. Not only did they give us good service, they gave the producer excellent value."
Jeff Benish was Scharff Weisberg's project manager for the flower show.
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