Come mid-January, our frosted eyes will yearn to gaze upon the colors of summer, especially the natural vibrant colors of flowers and plants. Luckily, Eau Clairians will have the opportunity to not only experience this much-needed sensory stimulation, but also to contribute something to it. The Eau Claire Regional Arts Center wants artists to submit creations for their annual Fabulous Florals and Fine Arts, an exhibit that combines visual art with beautiful flower displays inspired by each piece. The deadline for submissions to the group exhibit, which will be displayed in the Janet Carson Gallery Jan. 11-15, 2017, is Sept. 30.  Florists who want to spruce up that two-dimensional painting with some lovely lilacs and add more alliteration to the event are also being called upon by ECRAC. “We pair local artists with local florists to come up with exhibits that are very unique to this area,” ECRAC Visual Arts Director Rose Dolan-Neill said. “Exhibits like this happen in big museums all over the country, but those florists come up with arrangements for pieces already on display. With our exhibit, florists can talk to the artists and get an idea of what they want, and it can be as collaborative as they’d like it to be.” Dolan-Neill said this exhibit that fills the community with refreshing sights as well as smells is probably ECRAC’s most visited show of the year. She emphasized that the event is obviously great for the artists, because they get to be displayed in a gallery and potentially sell their work, but also for florists so they can show how much artistry goes into arranging flowers that the public does not often realize. Both art and flower powerhouses may contact Dolan-Neill at ECRAC at (715) 832-2787 or check out www.EauClaireArts.com for more submission and event information.