Austin architects Jose Minguell and Laura McQuary showcased their new locally grown, metal chair this fall here at Gallery Shoal Creek. Designed and manufactured in central Texas, the indoor/outdoor stackable Shiner Chair is a modern variation of the steel lawn chairs of the 1950s.

The Minguell-McQuary Architecture+Design team take a holistic view of architectural and furniture design, focusing on sustainability, ergonomics and ease of fabrication. On a formal level the Shiner Chair is composed of two continuous 1/2" bent steel rods with a pressed sheet metal seat. These two continuous bent loops create two halves that mirror each other. Its simple construction and tack welds are reminiscent of industrial farm machinery design. Likewise, the chairs have a durable powder coat finish that comes in iconic "tractor colors".

The chair is named for the small town of Shiner, Texas, home to the Kaspar Wire Works and Shiner Beer. Started in 1998, the Kaspar Wire Works once made barbed wire and corn shuck baskets; today they manufacture truck grille guards, shopping baskets, and the sleek, modern Shiner Chair.

BENOIT BALLON

Walk into Benoit Ballon's floral studio and you'll think you are in Paris. The French-born and trained master designer brings a European sense of aesthetics to Austin from his centrally located shop, King Florist.

The structural elements of Laurie Frick's collages mirror Benoit's approach to design. In his unique signature pieces, he balances impact and simplicity to create the unexpected. At a distance, movement and color intrigue; up close, the textures and details captivate.

Interpreting art work is not new to Benoit. While living in San Francisco, he was a guest designer at the prestigious Bouquets to Art at the Honor of Legion Museum for six years. For IN BLOOM, he plans to engage us with an interactive installation that is certain to capture the visual rhythm of Frick's Man Men collage.

DAVID KURIO

David Kurio has been designing flowers with passion for over 30 years. Since 1985, his events services company - David Kurio Designs - has defined creative environments for Austin's most memorable events. His clientele stretch far beyond Austin and includes major corporations and Hollywood celebrities.

Design versatility has been key to Kurio's success. His creative visions range from the conservative and practical to modern and minimalist or all the way "over the top". In 2009, he was recognized by ISES (International Special Event Society) with a Lifetime Achievement Award.

In planning for IN BLOOM, David studied the intricacies of Rene Alvarado's Las Tres Lichas, exploring the artist's devotion to symbolism and bold color. It is this use of a strong palette that most intrigued Kurio as both artist and designer intuitively paint with broad strokes and saturated color. In this case, a mass of yellow.

JENNIFER MYERS

Jennifer Myers is both gardener + artist. She has created a natural oasis on an historical property in central Austin. Here, stone walkways and heirloom plants mingle. A work in progress, the grounds are her artistic canvas.

For IN BLOOM, Jennifer immediately connected with Alexey Krasnovsky's organic paintings. The warm hued tropicals and stately blue agave were, for this multitalented artist, an extension of her surroundings.

Jennifer and her daughter Madeleine turned their love of entertaining and designing into Jennifer's Gardens Floral Designs providing personalized floral design for weddings and events. Not surprisingly, the lush grounds of Laguna Gloria are Jennifer's favorite spot for doing weddings. The 19th century Italian villa is the perfect architectural backdrop for Jennifer's floral creations. Again, stone and flowers mingle.

MARIO GAITAN + KEITH BURNHAM

Mario Gaitan and Keith Burnham, co-owners of Westbank Flower Market, are passionate about flowers - "to the point of obsession," says Keith. They cultivate orchids in their own greenhouse with Nepenthes and Cattleyas varieties being Keith's pride and joy. "Since only rainwater will do for them," notes Mario, "you can imagine the problems in our current drought."

With an eye for the unusual, the partners work side-by-side in their shop on Bee Caves Road. The space is filled with exotic plants and stylized containers; flowers from around the world stand alongside locally grown organics from the Texas Hill Country.

Texture and form are central to the team's design approach; surfaces complement the natural elements and lines move seamlessly from container to flowers completing what is always an artful composition. For IN BLOOM, that same soft, linear flow will parallel Tony Saladino's abstract landscapes as their installation stretches through the gallery entry way.

BONNI TAYLOR

Alongside Austin's most well-know designers, IN BLOOM features a young emerging talent - Bonni Taylor. Bonni has had an interest in design since she was a teenager and following several years of designing high-end boots and Mediterranean interiors on the island of Majorca, she set her creative talent to floral design. Bonni is training with Benoit Ballon, owner of King Florist. "We are certain to see more from this young designer," says her mentor.

For IN BLOOM , she chose Force and Duration, a stunning piece by Chicago-based artist Melissa J. Craig. She beautifully captures the rhythmical flow of Craig's handmade/hand dyed paper sculpture with a literal interpretation created with hand tinted roses and red metallic wire.