One of the first signs of spring is when the tulips bloom at Montevallo's American Village. Each year, patrons eagerly await the official announcement for the opening dates for the upcoming American Village Festival of Tulips. The festival celebrated its eighth year in 2024.
Forty different varieties and blends of tulips are planted at the American Village each year. Banja Luka (striped yellow / red), Gentle Giants (mixed pinks), Thanks and Praise (white and yellow mix) and Queen of Night (maroon) are some fan favorites every year. Newer varieties have been added over the years, including Tom Pouce (fuchsia / yellow), Velvet Underground (red / yellow / white Parrot tulip) and Parade Design (red with variegated foliage). There are early, mid-season and late blooming varieties, so whenever you go there is a great selection of flowers during festival dates.
Attendees come from around the south to this family friendly event and the festival asks for a $5 per person donation to stroll and tip toe through a field of tens of thousands of tulips, in all colors of the rainbow. Attendees are encouraged to take a piece of the festival home with them, including picking the tulip and bulb of your choice for $2 each.
The American Village serves the Nation as an educational institution whose mission is to strengthen and renew the foundations of American liberty and constitutional self-government by engaging and inspiring citizens and leaders, with special emphasis on programs for young people. Schools can participate in programs, as well as the general public. The property can also be rented for special private events. You can learn more about the American Village at www.americanvillage.org.
The American Village is dear to Brooklyn's heart because it is located in the town of Montevallo where she grew up. Brooklyn attended the American Village Festival of Tulips in 2023. Her goal was to capture a variety of tulips at peak for artwork. The result was two paintings that were donated to the Parkinson Association of Alabama's Taste for a Cure Silent Auction. Since then, she has created additional paintings now apart of the Alabama Blooms series. Because there are more photos and varieties available, the possibilities are endless for commissioned pieces which can be custom ordered by canvas size, background and tulip color.
The red tulip with white fringe has significant meaning for Brooklyn. It was officially adopted by the global Parkinson's community to bring awareness to the disease in Luxembourg on April 11, 2005, although the flower had been associated with Parkinson's awareness since the early 1980s. It has become an international symbol representing Parkinson's and is used in many logos and program promotions to bring greater awareness to the condition.
The tulip is described in detail as the "exterior being a glowing cardinal red, small feathered white edge, the outer base whitish, the inside, a currant-red to turkey-red, broad feathered white edge, anthers pale yellow." This particular tulip was developed by J.W.S. Van der Wereld, a Dutch horticulturist who had Parkinson's disease. He named the flower after James Parkinson, the doctor who first described the disease as the "shaking palsy."
This is particularly important to Brooklyn, as both her grandmother and father had Parkinson's. It is her passion to educate those newly diagnosed with the condition on how to live a quality life with Parkinson's - providing both hope and optimism. Working with the UAB Movement Disorders Clinic as a Program Coordinator with the American Parkinson Disease Association, Brooklyn establishes programs throughout the state of Alabama to help those diagnosed with Parkinson's achieve a good start and press forward with the support and resources they need.
The tulip series is now available and can be found at local shoppes and vendor markets displaying Brook's Nook creations. If you wish to have a painting commissioned, you may reach out to Brooklyn directly for a custom order.
ADDITIONAL TULIP PAINTINGS
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