KC hosts floral design AIR student workshop

Brent Leech, AIFD, CID, works with Tricia Vandermeer, a Kishwaukee College floral design student, on creating an arrangement that would be suitable for an event using construction props.

The Kishwaukee College Floral Design department hosted a guest designer as part of the Artist In Residence (AIR) program offered through the American Institute of Floral Designers (AIFD) on Thursday, March 5 at the College. Students in Janet Gallagher’s Floral Design class watched a demonstration by Brent Leech, AIFD, CID, in the morning and then created pieces with him during the afternoon for hands-on experience.

Brent Leech is a 1982 graduate of Kishwaukee College and purchased his first floral shop at the age of 21 in Polo, IL. He has worked in the floral industry ever since. He and has been a floral design instructor at local community colleges in addition to working as a freelance designer. As the SAIFD chapter advisor at Triton College, he supported and guided his students to winning the national student floral design competition. He is a past design team member of the Tournament of Roses in Pasadena, CA; has designed for the Academy Awards; and has traveled with the American Floral Art School to Taipei, Taiwan. He has co-chaired and chaired the North Central Chapters floral display at the Chicago Flower and Garden Show. He currently is designing for Town and Country Gardens in their Geneva location.

While at Kishwaukee College, Leech presented to the students on creating props for floral events, using various metal based construction materials. The students worked under his supervision in the afternoon session on creating their own arrangements.

The AIR program is offered through the AIFD to bring together industry professionals and floral design students at colleges and universities that have Student AIFD chapters. Kishwaukee College is one of only 14 colleges in the nation with an SAIFD chapter.

For more information on the American Institute of Floral Designers (AIFD), visit www.aifd.org; for more information on the Floral Design Program at Kishwaukee College, call Janet Gallagher at 815-825-2086, ext. 2830 or email her at janet.gallagher@kishwaukeecollege.edu.