From the front yard to the inner city, Suburban Floral Association comes to town.

What are hydrangea bushes doing among the steel and concrete of Newmarket? Why are flower lovers gathering outside the train station just off Broadway? Artists Monique Redmond and Tanya Eccleston, aka Suburban Floral Association, provide the answer with their work *Shopfront, *running from the 8th to the 19th of March in a retail space in Newmarket’s new Station Square.

Described by the artists as an “alternative gardening event” *Shopfront* brings the Auckland suburbs' brightest blooms to the inner city in the form of video screenings, installations, a flower arranging workshop and talks. Changing regularly in form over its 12 days, Suburban Floral Association will, at different times, invite the public to bring along cut flowers and foliage, take away a cutting for the garden or just watch this ‘flowering event’ change and grow.

*Shopfront* has been commissioned for the Auckland Arts Festival by public art programme Letting Space, which brings artists and property owners together to explore creative uses for vacant commercial inner-city space. Letting Space* *was responsible for Kim Paton’s *Free Store*, and Tao Wells’ *The Beneficiary’s Office, *which ran in Wellington in 2010, both causing national media interest and debate.

In commissioning Suburban Floral Association to create this work for the Auckland Arts Festival, Letting Space likens a healthy urban environment to a verdant garden.

“In the suburbs, the fashion for different plants and plantings don’t come and go so easily as in the inner-city,” says artist Tanya Eccleston. “You learn to love what you inherit, and treasure mature plants in all their diversity."

The artists have documented the difference and character of front yard planting and gardening along the suburban streets of Auckland – bringing our attention to how that one beautiful plant, planted well and visible from the street, can become an inspiration to many, shaping the visual landscape of our everyday lives for generations to come.

Often suburban gardens are considered private paradises hidden behind fences. In a series of "driveby shootings", the Suburban Floral Association has taken photographs from road and footpath of flowering shrubs. The 12-day *Shopfront* show will feature these photographs and videos and other public events. On Friday 11th March the Suburban Floral Association will be providing visitors with suburban plant cuttings, whilst on Saturday 12thMarch the public is invited to contribute flowers and foliage from their own gardens to help make an artwork. The artists will be present during all opening hours.

Suburban Floral Association’s *Shopfront *can be found outside Newmarket’s new railway station in Station Square, from the 8th to the 19th of March. Given they are on the Newmarket Station’s doorstep visitors are encouraged to take the train.

For more information on the events programme and details of opening hours the public are directed to a detailed events guide at www.lettingspace.org.nz/suburban-floral-association.

Shopfront is supported by the Auckland Arts Festival and AUT University.

*Shopfront by Suburban Floral Association, 8-19 March*

*Station Square, Corner Broadway & Remuera Rd, Newmarket Railway Station, Auckland*

*A Letting Space public art project in association with and supported by the Auckland Arts Festival*

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