NEWSLETTER
After nearly two months of darkness, the mansion will reopen to the public full of springtime blooms through March 1
Rochester, N.Y., January 13, 2020—The historic mansion at the George Eastman Museum will reopen to the public on Friday, February 14, with its Dutch Connection floral show. The annual display is a welcome treat in the midst of winter, with thousands of tulips, hyacinths, daffodils, amaryllis, freesias, and spring annuals in various vibrant shades filling areas of George Eastman’s historic mansion. Tropical orchids courtesy of the Genesee Region Orchid Society will also be on display throughout the mansion. Dutch Connection will be on view through March 1.
During his residency between 1905 and 1932, George Eastman ordered tens of thousands of bulbs from Holland every year. The orders were mostly for tulips, narcissus, and hyacinths for indoor forcing, and tulips for outside beds. Eastman’s annual bulb orders were inspired by a trip he had made to Holland in 1895. He was impressed by the flower fields he saw while bicycling through the countryside. The present-day display is inspired by Eastman's original orders placed with Dutch bulb companies. The cultivation process began last July, with more than 14,000 bulbs growing since October.
Enhance your Dutch Connection experience by arranging a group tour, learning more from a behind-the-scenes talk and tour with the museum’s landscape manager, or attending any of the following public programs offered during the two-week event. Back by popular demand, the museum is again offering a children’s bulb potting activity during winter recess from school, February 15–23, which is included with museum admission. The activity will be held in the museum’s Discovery Room on the second floor of the mansion. The Eastman Museum offers private group tours of Dutch Connection during regular museum hours. To set up a tour or for more information, please contact Amelia Galasso, group tour coordinator, at (585) 327-4948 or tours@eastman.org.
SPECIAL PROGRAMS
Behind the Scenes of Dutch Connection
Saturdays, February 15, 22 & 29, 9 a.m.
Get a behind-the-scenes look at the making of Dutch Connection at this comprehensive discussion with Landscape Manager Dan Bellavia. Learn about what it takes to produce a large-scale floral display. The talk includes the origin story, as well as details about the design, plant varieties, ordering, growing, timing, and mechanics. A special tour of Dutch Connection follows, highlighting some of the different varieties in this year's show. Limited space available; advance tickets required. Free to museum members, $15 nonmembers, $13 seniors (65+), $5 students (w/ID) and youth (ages 5–17). Purchase tickets at eastman.org/dutchconnection.
Live Music Performances
Sundays, 3 p.m.
Live music in the mansion, included with museum admission.
February 16: Southern Sound Tuba Quartet
February 23: Five Point Performance Company
March 1: Steve Kelly, Aeolian Pipe Organ
Just for Kids: Plant a Bulb
**Winter Break Week**
February 15–23, 10 a.m.–5 p.m. (Note: the museum is closed on Monday, February 17)
Drop in for this hands-on activity to learn about bulbs and how to plant them. Plant one of your own to take home and watch it bloom! Recommended for ages 12 & under (accompanied by an adult). Free to members; included with museum admission.
Dutch Connection is generously supported by Gerald and Karen Kral and by St. John’s. In-kind support provided by Monroe County Parks Department and Lucas Greenhouses, Fairport.
About the George Eastman MuseumFounded in 1947, the George Eastman Museum is the world’s oldest photography museum and one of the largest film archives in the United States, located on the historic Rochester estate of entrepreneur and philanthropist George Eastman, the pioneer of popular photography. Its holdings comprise more than 450,000 photographs, 28,000 motion picture films, the world’s preeminent collection of photographic and cinematographic technology, one of the leading libraries of books related to photography and cinema, and extensive holdings of documents and other objects related to George Eastman. As a research and teaching institution, the Eastman Museum has an active publishing program and, through its two joint master’s degree programs with the University of Rochester, makes critical contributions to the fields of film preservation and of photographic preservation and collection management. For more information, visit eastman.org.
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Promotional Images for Dutch Connection are available to download: https://eastmanmuseum.box.com/v/dutchconnection.
Media Contact:
Kellie Fraver, Public Relations Manager
(585) 327-4813