Kish College hosts floral expert for design demonstration

The Kishwaukee College Horticulture program hosted Illinois Certified Professional Florist (ICPF) Coordinator Ronda Hess as part of the Artist In Residence (AIR) program offered through the American Institute of Floral Designers (AIFD).

Hess AIFD, Certified Floral Designer (CFD), ICPF presented a floral design demonstration for Associate Professor of Horticulture Janet Gallagher’s advanced floral students and Kish’s Student American Institute of Floral Designers (SAIFD) Floral Club members. The presentation gave students hands-on experience in variations of triangle floral arrangements, emphasizing color harmonies, style techniques, and the principles and elements of floral design.

The AIR program is offered through the AIFD to bring together industry professionals and floral design students at colleges and universities that host student AIFD chapters like Kish. For horticulture students like Christina Fisher, who owns and operates a floral shop, hands-on opportunities through Kish’s horticulture program, like the AIR demonstration, offer numerous educational and professional advantages.

“It is absolutely beneficial to see other professionals at work. Everybody designs differently, so it is very helpful to see the different tips and techniques you can pick up,” Fisher said. “Ronda explained the purpose behind her displays very thoroughly and in-depth.”

Hess is a Certified Floral Designer (CFD) and was inducted into the AIFD in 2005. With more than 35 years of experience in the floral industry, Hess is the state coordinator for the hands-on and online certification classes for designers looking to become Illinois Certified Professional Florists through the Illinois State Florists’ Association. Hess currently works as a floral designer for Hy-Vee in Bloomington.

For more information on Kish’s Horticulture program, visit www.kish.edu/horticulture.