Claire began to develop her keen sense of color, texture and form at Sookmyung Girl’s High School and Ewha Womans University in Seoul, Korea where she received a Bachelor of Arts. She completed her studies in the United States at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, and further studied arts at the Carnegie-Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pa., and at the Nova Scotia Arts School, Halifax, Canada. Her pursuit of the arts and teaching came full circle 25 years ago when she joined the faculty of the New York Botanical Garden, where in 2005 she was named “Instructor of the Year” for her significant contributions to the teaching program, and in 2007 became Program Coordinator of the Flower Department. Claire has also enjoyed sharing her talent and passion for design with her community in Chappaqua, New York, through teaching continuing education courses.

A unique style and flair for artistic expression have brought Claire considerable recognition in the industry, beginning with her American Institute of Floral Designers designation in 1992. She has received the prestigious Philadelphia Flower Show Best of Show Award [five times]. And at the 2002 show, she presented “Speranza (Hope)”
commemorating September 11th , which was featured in the Washington Post.

Claire continues to evolve her floral design through her fine arts background. In 2001 she appeared as a guest designer at the AIFD National Symposium, Chicago, to successfully introduce a new art form, “floral collage painting” with an exhibition entitled “An Artist’s Life: The Four Seasons of Creativity.” In 2003 she was invited by the AIFD London Forum to present her signature floral collages to an international audience, and that same year she was a feature designer at the annual convention of the Mid-Atlantic Florists Association in Herndon, Virginia. At the 2004 AIFD National Symposium in New York City, she was one of twelve feature designers with her show “East Meets West: Fusion or Confusion.”

In New York, Claire’s floral designs and collage exhibitions have been shown at several art galleries since 1998, including the Phoenix Gallery, the New Century Artists Gallery, and the Nobo Gallery. Claire has been on the Garden Club Show guest-speaker circuit since 1991 and has appeared at the New Jersey State Garden Club Show, the Short Hills Garden Club, Bay Shore Garden Club, Suffolk Garden Club, Garden Club of Spring Lake, and the Central Atlantic Regional Garden Club, among many others. She has also been a Guest Speaker of the Garden Club of America since 2007.

In 2008 Claire presented a flower show at her alma mater Ewha Womans University at its 100th Year Alumnae Gala held at the Intercontinental Hotel in Seoul, Korea. Her show was called “Noble Spirit.”

AWARDS

March 2009: Claire and her AIFD colleagues received four awards at the Philadelphia Flower Show
including the “Best of Show” award for “Bella Italia.”

February 2010: Claire and her AIFD colleagues received the “Best of Show” award at the Philadelphia Flower Show for “Expedition South Africa.” Her piece “Face-to-Face” appeared in Floral Design Magazine (New Zealand) in May 2010.

February 2012: She presented her floral designs at “Fashion 4 Development” organized by Vogue Magazine and UNICEF during Fashion Week, at the Italian Ambassador’s residence in New York City.

March 2014: As AIFD’s Culture Advisor, Claire led her team to receive the “Best of Show” Award at the Philadelphia Flower Show for “Treasures from Korea: Arts and Culture of the Joseon Dynasty.” She also received a Special Achievement Award from the Garden Club Federation of Pennsylvania, the Society of Floral Artists Award, Special Achievement Award of the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, and People’s Choice Award of the Philadelphia Flower Show.

March 2015: Claire and her AIFD team received the “Best of Show” Award at the Philadelphia Flower Show for “The Eleven Disney Princesses.” She also received the Society of American Florists Award, Sag Award, Gold Medal, Award of Merit, and the Outstanding Floral Exhibit Award at the Philadelphia Flower Show.