February Events for the Design Minded, Part 1

Kerri Rosenthal in her studio

The guide to February events for people who love design.

American Indian Gallery Talk

Skinner, Inc.,  Boston Gallery

February 5

Join Skinner expert Douglas Deihl for a tour of highlights from the February 6th auction of the The Van Kirke & Helen Nelson Collection of American Indian Art. Reception 5:30 p.m., gallery walk 6 p.m., free, (508) 960-3240, skinnerinc.com

Color Me Happy Opening Reception

Sandra Morgan Home

February 5

Sandra Morgan Interiors will be hosting a show of Fairfield County artist Kerri Rosenthal’s colorful artwork. Rosenthal’s work has been embraced by the design community because of the energy and positivity they bring to a space. Her work has been featured in many magazines including New England Home.  5:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m., Greenwich, (203) 629-8121, sandramorganinteriors.com

Love Lust & Desire VIII

McGowan Fine Art

February 1–12

This exhibit features a wide array of media, including photography, paintings, prints, and jewelry. More than 70 artists participate, and all the works are priced under $300. Go buy something for someone you love! Concord, N.H., (603) 225-2515, mcgowanfineart.com

Grafting Techniques for Ornamental Trees

February 6

Join plant propagator Jack Alexander at Harvard University’s Arnold Arboretum for a class on grafting plants. You will learn the method, which requires no special tools or equipment, of grafting deciduous and evergreen trees and shrubs. 9 a.m.–4 p.m.; $90 members, $120 non-members. Arnold Arboretum, Boston, (617) 524-1718, arboretum.harvard.edu

Killer Heels: The Art of the High-Heeled Shoe

February 6–May 15

Fashionistas take note! Currier Museum of Art presents an exhibit that explores the 300-year history of our favorite shoes. Part art, part fashion, and part architectural marvels, high heels have a place in our hearts and closets. The exhibit will feature 50 pairs of historic high-heels culled from the Brooklyn Museum and the Bata Shoe Museum in Toronto, along with six films that discuss what makes high heels so fascinating. Currier Museum of Art, Manchester, N.H., (603) 669-6144, currier.org

Middlesex County Modern

Through March 20

This exhibition explores the region’s
rich history in modernist design. Boston’s western suburbs were a hotbed of modernist design from the 1930s to the 1960s, as architects like Walter Gropius and Carl Koch experimented with modern forms. A series of events will complement the exhibit. Concord Museum, Concord, Mass., (978) 369-9763, concordmuseum.org

Birds of a Feather: Shelburne Museum’s Decoy Collection

Through May 6

Featuring 80 waterfowl decoys culled from the museum’s noted collection.
A. Elmer Crowell, Charles “Shang” Wheeler, and Albert Laing are just a few of the master artisans featured. ­Shelburne Museum, Shelburne, Vt.,(802) 985-3346, shelburnemuseum.org

Native Fashion Now

Through March 6

This exhibit celebrates the range of contemporary Native American fashion. Nearly 100 pieces illustrate the way Native fashion designers are influencing today’s broader fashion world. Peabody Essex Museum, Salem, Mass., (978) 745-9500, pem.org

Camellia Blooming Season at the Lyman Estate

February 15–March 14

Take a mini tropical vacation without leaving New England; visit the 19th-century camellia house, part of the Lyman Estate greenhouses, where the century-old trees will be in full blossom. Orchids, sweet olives, citrus, and clivia will also be in bloom. Visitors can purchase plants propagated from the estate’s plants. 9:30 a.m.–4 p.m.; free. Lyman Estate Greenhouses, Waltham, Mass., (781) 891-1985, historicnewengland.org