Each year, approximately six million people visit The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. The museum contains art and cultural artifacts from civilizations across the globe. What visitors might not catch on their first visit, however, are the lush floral displays arranged around The Great Hall.
In the late 1960s, Lila Acheson Wallace established an endowment for the permanent upkeep of The Great Hall and the Plaza, including stunning weekly flower arrangements on either end of the Hall and above the information desk. Wallace pays for this contribution in perpetuity, and, every Wednesday, the flowers are switched out for new blooms.
“Lila Acheson Wallace is one of the greatest philanthropists in Metropolitan Museum of Art's history,” says Whitney Donhauser, The Met’s deputy director and chief advancement officer. “It was truly a gift to not only the museum, not only New Yorkers, but all the museum visitors. And it continues to be so today.”
Working closely with architects Kevin Roche and John Dinkeloo, Lila Acheson Wallace envisioned a Great Hall surrounded by “starburst floral arrangements” that would “soften the overwhelming space and welcome visitors with living beauty,” according to Donhauser. Wallace visited the Hall weekly during renovations, ensuring the project would be completed in time for The Met’s centennial celebration in 1970.
For more than 30 years, the museum’s master florist was Chris Giftos, who created spectacular arrangements that brought the outdoors inside. When he retired in 2003, his apprentice Remco van Vliet, a third-generation Dutch florist, and Remco's firm, Van Vliet & Trap, took over the work. Remco grew up in Holland helping his father in his flower shop, and his Dutch heritage and artistry echo elements found in The Met’s own collection.
The Met is for everyone, and we have Mrs. Wallace to thank for recognizing the importance of this message.
“I like to think of this and these flowers as a nod to making everyone feel welcome here,” Donhauser says. “The Met is for everyone, and we have Mrs. Wallace to thank for recognizing the importance of this message.”
The weekly floral changeover brings seasonally appropriate blooms that can hold up for an entire week. Season after season, the displays quietly signal changes in the world outside the museum’s walls. In September, visitors will start to see fall colors, and in the spring, hydrangeas take over the space.
“It’s wonderful to be able to see the creativity that has been expressed through the flowers,” Donhauser says. “We are so grateful for [Lila Wallace’s] support because this type of philanthropy is something that endures and creates a permanent legacy.”
An article, published by Dan’s Papers NYC, details Lila Acheson Wallace’s lasting contribution to The Met and the arts.
Who Is Lila Wallace?
Lila Acheson Wallace was an American magazine publisher and philanthropist. Together with her husband, DeWitt Wallace, she co-founded Reader’s Digest in 1922, helping transform it into one of the world’s most widely read magazines. Wallace is perhaps best remembered for her philanthropy, through which she and her husband used their wealth to support the arts, education, and culture. Her lifetime charitable contributions are estimated at approximately $60 million and took many forms, including support for the visual and performing arts through museum exhibitions, as well as opera, dance, music, and theater. In recognition of her philanthropic impact, Wallace received major honors during her lifetime, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1972. Following the Wallaces’ deaths in the early 1980s, their estate helped shape the foundations that would eventually merge to become The Wallace Foundation, carrying forward their long-standing commitment to education, youth, and the arts.
Video by Kim Nowacki and Sarosh Syed.
Special thanks to Karen Vidangos, senior manager of social media at The Met.
