34. Driving Murals
Hillwood Museum
Ami Wilber
2025 installation - Winter Garden
The Inspiration
The Andersons were enthusiastic motorists and commissioned these two murals—completed in 1909 by H. Siddons Mowbray—mapping their favorite driving routes (marked in red) in and around Washington.
The Flowers
Florist’s inspiration: Growing up, I remember, before any road travels, my family and I would plan out our journey with a paper map. Looking at maps still elicits excitement and longing to be driving carefree to new destinations. The map murals by H. Siddons Mowbray, inspired my imagination of flowers and greenery to transform into little landscapes. The four arrangements represent the four quadrants of Washington D.C. Included are cherry blossoms and orchard branches the Andersons would have seen on their drives through Rock Creek Park. When looking down at the floral creations, I tried to visually represent the composition of the maps and while looking at them from eye level, create a forest of wonderment.
Blending my knowledge of art and floristry, I strive to create living sculptures, capturing the whims of nature in a botanical setting.
Recipe: Moss, fritillaria, hyacinth, mushrooms, orchard blossoms and foraged material
THE DESIGNER
Ami WIlber
Hillwood Museum
Spending much of her childhood picking flowers from the meadow behind her house to create bouquets for her mom, Ami Wilber has cultivated a love for nature by creating beauty from it. She graduated from Miami University with a degree in Fine Arts and went on to receive her MFA in sculpture from Rochester Institute of Technology, School for American Crafts. Ami has been with Hillwood Museum since 2016. As the Floral and Event Décor Designer, she blends her knowledge of art and floristry to create living sculptures, trying to capture the whims of nature in a composed setting.
PHOTOGRAPHED BY
Ayanah George Photography
Ayanah George is a digital and film photographer based in Washington DC. She specializes in female portraiture and uses double exposures to portray the background and subject as one.
Inspired by the work of Kehinde Wiley, Ayanah is passionate about the representation of women as majestic and elevated. Her portraits often use florals and patterns, representing growth and harmony.
She has been featured in Travel & Leisure, American Illustration, as well as by American Photography, the Washington Historical Society and the DC Commission on the Arts & Humanities (FY25 Art Bank Grantee).
