Category Sculpture Parks

See Six Sculptures by Melvin Edwards in Different Seasons at deCordova before they Leave this Spring!!

The deCordova Sculpture Park is a great place to take in several selected works by one artist, especially Melvin Edwards! You can get close to all sides of each artwork and recognize connections to related sculptures within your view. Circle them on snowshoes or other ways this winter; stroll among them in the spring. Feeling lucky to live so near, I’ll pass along related links, quotes, and photos now.

Recent Art Combines with Earlier Creative Features on the Bikeway in Somerville

On an April walk along Somerville Community Path (or Bikeway), I stopped to enjoy some new discoveries and familiar favorites. In this post I begin with photos of the recent additions and then share older photos, plus links to supporting information in earlier posts or new resources. As always, I appreciate the reliable richness and intriguing changes on this path.

Jaume Plensa’s Sculptures Make Many Meaningful Connections

Jaume Plensa’s Humming came to deCordova Sculpture Park almost ten years ago, generating innumerable reminders of how powerful sculpture can be. As a guide at the park, Humming has given me reliable ways to connect with others about how and why a tall translucent entrancing head might come to be. Humming has brought perspective to other art in the park, and it has led me to more sculpture by the same artist as well.

Art Grows from Trees: Alan Sonfist and Richard Rosenblum at deCordova

Sonfist’s The Endangered Species of New England has been part of the Sculpture Park since 2013. Rosenblum’s Venusvine, created 1990, has been there since 1996. Both artworks reflect their artists’ deeply rooted work with trees. Both are metal renderings of natural forms. Both artworks have decisive locations in the park. They’ve held their ground while other artworks have moved around, left or entered in recent years.

Artists Help Us Learn from Trees: Maren Hassinger and Josephine Halvorson at deCordova Sculpture Park

Josephine Halvorson’s Measure (Tree) and Maren Hassinger’s Monuments 3 and 6 have expanded my range in relating to trees. That is true for several other artworks at deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum, so I’ll hope to follow up in future posts with more examples. But I’ll start with these two artists because their processes give specific attention to trees. Measure (Tree) involved the artist in close observation while painting a tree’s elements onto a wooden plank. Both Monuments involved many people in carefully weaving assorted branches of local trees into geometric structures and patterns. Quotes from the Trustees website explain more. Links to each artist’s site offer context. My photos give glimpses of the presence of these artworks among trees in the park in different seasons.

Marianna Pineda’s Sculptures Create Connections

While museums everywhere, including deCordova Sculpture Park, were closed for the past two months, I began to look more closely at the art that was still accessible in my neighborhood. Fortunately for me that includes the grounds of Harvard University and within those Radcliffe Yard. There among other areas with intriguing art is the Alexandra D. Korry Sculpture Garden around Marianna Pineda’s Oracle Portentous.

Neighbors, Nature and Time Play Great Parts in Art by Christopher Frost: Colony and Much More

After two visits in the past month, I hope to make many more in the three seasons ahead before Colony leaves its maple tree on the Minuteman Bikeway. The photos in this post are mine but the links below will lead to more varied and vivid ones, including the installation process. The quotes below also give background about Christopher Frost and will suggest why I have seized the opportunity to share my enthusiasm for his spirited splendid sculpture!

Storm King Art Center, Immense and Inviting

A blog called Art Outdoors cries out for posts about Storm King Art Center, a grand-scale sculpture park. Finally, I feel ready to respond, with a few starting notes, photos, and links. 

Being in the Hands of Ursula von Rydingsvard

In connection with the exhibition Expanding Abstraction at the deCordova Museum (April 7—September 17, 2017) the museum’s Process Gallery highlights the art of Ursula von Rydingsvard and other women artists with work in deCordova Sculpture Park. I’m posting now to extend the connection to a recent monumental sculpture by Ursula von Rydingsvard at MIT.

Eternal Presence by John Wilson, Different Versions

Eternal Presences: John Wilson’s Art in Roxbury, Framingham and Lincoln