Arts in Bloom Garden Walk offers views of local gardens, artwork

Flowers bloom at the home garden of Becky Bartlett and Mike Oliva on June 24 in Mishawaka. The location will be part of an event for the South Bend Museum of Art in which artists paint in people's home gardens while attendees tour the gardens.

The arts are blossoming again in Michiana this summer.  

The Art League’s annual Arts in Bloom Garden Walk returns Wednesday for its 31st season, after being canceled last year because of the pandemic.

“We are excited to start up again,” publicity chairman Rebecca Miller says.  

As the name suggests, the Garden Walk is an event in which participants are invited to view the gardens of local residents. While perusing the home gardens, they also will see local artists painting the scenery in real time.  

This year’s seven gardens on display are found in the Winding Brook Park and The Forest neighborhoods in Mishawaka. 

Becky Bartlett and Mike Oliva's garden serves as one of the seven stops on Wednesday's Arts in Bloom Garden Walk, a fundraiser for the South Bend Museum of Art.

Proceeds from the event benefit ongoing projects and the children’s program at the South Bend Museum of Art. 

How does the event work?  

Participants meet at the Hospitality Center located at Henry Frank Park, 601 E. Day Road, Mishawaka, to pick up a guided map and purchase tickets if necessary. They will then use the brochure they receive to locate each of the gardens.