Student Artists and Former MOFAC Curator Design Ornaments for Christmas Tree Lighting in Washington

It’s always a special treat to hear about our students’ accomplishments. This one takes place during this holiday season and on the national stage. The following is a press release distributed through the National Park Service and came to us from a very proud Mollie Doctrow.

Ornaments by local Florida artists will dazzle President’s Park at the White House in Washington, D.C. as part of the 94th annual National Christmas Tree Lighting display. Mollie Doctrow and art students from South Florida State College–Ann-Louise Abbott, Missy Simpson, Leighton Skipper, and Taylor Webb–designed ornaments that showcase Florida native wildflowers. The hand-crafted ornaments will adorn one of 56 trees representing each U.S. state, territory, and the District of Columbia from Dec.1, 2016 through Jan. 1, 2017 as part of the America Celebrates display.

“It is an honor to decorate my home state tree and help the nation celebrate the holidays in one of our most recognizable national parks,” said Mollie Doctrow, artist/printmaker and Curator Emerita, SFSC MOFAC. “We are excited to be a part of the America Celebrates display because we have an opportunity to highlight the beauty of Florida native wildflowers.”

Inspired by the variety and diversity of Florida wildflowers the artists created drawings from original photographs. The drawings were carved into clay tiles, kiln fired and glazed.  Flowers represented on the ceramic tile ornaments include Sky Blue Lupine, Spiderwort, Prickly Pear, Fetterbush, Pine Lily, Ashe’s Wild Savory, Scrub Mint, and Honeycomb-head. Doctrow and the students are credited for their artwork on the National Christmas Tree Lighting website under “Florida.”

Presented by the National Park Service and National Park Foundation, the National Christmas Tree Lighting is one of America’s oldest holiday traditions. The first National Christmas Tree lighting took place 94 years ago on Christmas Eve in 1923, when President Calvin Coolidge lit a Christmas tree in front of 3,000 spectators on the Ellipse. Since 1923, each succeeding president has carried on the tradition.

The Hallmark Channel broadcast the National Christmas Tree Lighting on Dec. 5.