EDITORIAL & CULTURAL PARTNERSHIPS
Floral and botanical compositions shaped by story, ecology, and intentional design.
THE BUCKET WORKS WAY
I make botanical environments for brands, publications, artists, and cultural institutions. The material might be flowers, branches, moss, dried plants, ceramics, textiles, or whatever the story and season call for.
Projects can be built for a single frame, a room, a live event. I’m especially interested in work where flowers are more than just a decoration. I like when flowers establish a place, carry a cultural reference, create tension, or make an image feel stranger and more alive.
Most flowers are sourced from regional growers or grown here at Bucket Works HQ. When projects call for materials beyond our area, I’ll work with suppliers who share my values around transparency, fair labor, and environmental care.
FIELD NOTE 0312: Shinola Spring Campaign
Shinola Headquarters — Detroit, Michigan — December 2023
Naturalistic set and botanical installation work for Shinola’s Spring/Summer 2024 marketing and advertising campaign.
Brief: Develop a series of meadow-inspired installations to soften industrial settings and evoke seasonal renewal.
Solution: Meadow-inspired compositions were created for photography and video used across digital platforms, email campaigns, and the company website.
Services Provided: Botanical art direction, set styling, and on-site installation for photography and video production.
Project Duration: Two weeks of pre-production planning; two days on-site.
Inspiration: Early meadow growth and the shifting light of late winter, designed to echo the ease of a Michigan spring.
FIELD NOTE 0501: Ritual Altars Expressed through Florals
University of Michigan, Museum of Art — Ann Arbor, Michigan — January 2025
An installation referencing Lunar New Year altar traditions across Korea, China, and neighboring regions. Focus on the arrangement of vessels, fruits, and botanical materials within a contemporary setting.
Ann Arbor, Michigan [January 2025]
University of Michigan, Museum of Art
Brief: Installation for Lunar New Year inspired by traditional altar preparations from celebrating Asian nations
FLORALS/BOTANICS: Dyed red asparagus (Asparagus setaceus), dyed red tulips (Tulipa spp.), deep red orchid (Dendrobium spp.), ranunculus (Ranunculus asiaticus), tweedia (Oxypetalum coeruleum, syn. Tweedia caerulea), muscari (Muscari spp.), daffodils (Narcissus spp.), flowering quince branches (Chaenomeles spp.), pink jasmine (Jasminum polyanthum).
FRUITS: longans and kumquats to attract wealth; pomelos, green bananas, rambutans, lychee, and guava (for my take on the vietnamese five-fruit plate); persimmons and Korean pears
SET MATERIALS: TRADITIONAL KOREAN TABLE (i.e., used for birthdays, weddings, holidays) and a TRADITIONAL KOREAN CABINET; NORIGAE knots provided by family; RAMI TEXTILES along with BOTANICALLY DYED “PEACE” SILK RUNNERS (i.e., one in soft green dyed with nettles, one in soft yellow dyed with marigolds) were looped between the floral elements to add visual continuity; CERAMIC OBJECTS made by me.
PLUS: the four medicines of the Anishinaabe (i.e., tobacco, sweetgrass, cedar, and sage) provided by @_challahgram in lieu of traditional libations.
Photos were taken by Mark G. and provided by UMMA.
Photos were taken by Mark G. and provided by UMMA.
Photos were taken by Mark G. and provided by UMMA.
Photos were taken by Mark G. and provided by UMMA.
Photos were taken by Mark G. and provided by UMMA.
Photos were taken by Mark G. and provided by UMMA.
FIELD NOTE 0509: Witchfinger
Secret Location — Chicago, Illinois — September 2025
Floral and botanical installations created for Witchfinger, a queer rave celebrating the height of summer.
Brief: Transform an indoor dance space into a living reflection of the season’s abundance.
Inspiration: The bounty of late summer — cucurbits in every form, from immature luffas and cucamelons to bitter melons — arranged alongside field flowers to create a lush, sensorial environment.
Services Provided: Floral design, spatial styling, and live installation using Michigan-grown flowers and produce.
Project Duration: Four weeks of pre-production planning; one day on-site.
Events & Installations FAQs
How far in advance should we reach out?
Six to twelve weeks is useful for most projects. Larger installations, custom fabrication, travel, or multi-day productions need more lead time. Shorter timelines may be possible depending on season and scope.
What does your collaboration process look like?
Start with the date, location, intended use, project brief, constraints, and budget. After an initial conversation, I’ll send a recommended scope and estimated budget.
The proposal outlines payment schedule, approval deadlines, production responsibilities, staffing, delivery, installation, strike, travel, and return trips. Production begins after the agreement is signed and the first payment is received.
Do you travel for installations or projects?
Yes. I work throughout Metro Detroit and the Great Lakes region and consider farther travel selectively. Travel fees vary by distance, production needs, and setup duration.
What kinds of projects do you take on?
Projects include floral installations for photography and video, campaigns, brand activations, product launches, performances, dinners, cultural programs, and collaborations with artists, designers, musicians, chefs, and institutions.
How do you source your materials?
Most fresh material is grown in Hazel Park or purchased from farms around Southeast Michigan. When a project requires flowers that aren’t available locally, I prioritize U.S.-grown material, then selected Dutch sources. Availability and sourcing are discussed directly rather than reduced to a blanket claim about being fully local or fully “ethical.”
