Category bronze
Admire Animals by Artist Katharine Lane Weems in Boston: Dogs, Dolphins, Rhinos and More
The more I learn about sculpture by Katharine Lane Weems (1898 — 1989), the more I admire the art, the artist and the animals. An earlier post about two rhinos, Bess and Victoria, installed 1937 in Cambridge led me on to sites in Boston with work by this artist “famous for her realistic portrayals of animals.” Her art combined scientific accuracy, meticulous renderings, and creative design to bring out the animals’ majesty and character. This post notes four places in Boston to be in the presence of her elegant animals.
David Phillips’ Art Engages All Ages at Playspace on the Esplanade
For several years ( since 2013) David Phillip’s bronze turtles, frogs, spheres and connecting features have captivated visitors in Playspace, the lively popular playground on the Esplanade. Recently I renewed my appreciation of their subtly balanced momentum and how readily they stimulate stories.
Tufts’ Monumental Mascot: Jumbo by Steven Whyte
The first time I saw Steven Whyte’s Jumbo statue on the Tufts University campus I had big plans to post about it. That was in April 2015 when it was first installed and celebrated. Now four years including several visits later, I know that the massive range of Jumbo’s stories kept me from a decisive post. Today I’ll try to step back and share a bit of the big picture.
Men in Cambridge Made by Women: Anne Whitney and Theo Alice Ruggles Kitson
The statues of Charles Sumner and the Hiker both connect to stories worth telling, well told in the quotes below. The Sumner statue story leads back to a much earlier Boston proposal that was rejected because the artist Anne Whitney was a woman. The Hiker statue story leads on to a much later time when fifty bronze replicas of Kitson’s original around the country became part of a scientific study.
Art Outdoors 