Construction is underway for the new Edgar N. Putman Event Pavilion that will open next year. To prepare the space in the Pfundt Sculpture Garden, the first thing that had to be done was move all the sculptures to the rear of the garden for their protection. A fence was installed in front of all the works so that they do not get in the way of the contruction crew and also to avoid any damage to the sculptures.
Over a number of days, Harry Gordon, sculptor and installer, along with his crew, moved the sculptures using his special equipment, including a crane. Each sculpture was carefully connected to this crane and slowly moved to the rear of the garden. Gordon uses a remote control with his crane so that he can guide the sculptures slowly to their particular location. These sculptures can weigh thousands of pounds, so it is important that this process is done carefully and correctly. Click here to see a slideshow of the sculpture, Lassie, being moved to its new location.
The next stage of preparing the space in the sculpture garden included removing the trees and bushes, slate, boulders, and rocks, which are being taken care of this week. Early in this process, a protective wall was installed near the terrace with a glass door so that visitors can see the progress being made in the space.
August’s Mystery Image Revealed!
Selma H. Burke (1900-1995), Together, 1975/cast 2001, H. 74 x W. 49 x D. 9 inches, James A. Michener Art Museum. Museum purchase with assistance from John Horton, William Mandel, the Bjorn T. Polfelt memorial fund, Carolyn Calkins Smith and the Friends of Selma Burke.
Unfortunately, we didn’t have any guesses for this month’s mystery image! This month’s image was a closeup of one of the sculptures in our Pfundt Sculpture Garden by Selma Burke, entitled Together. Along with being a sculptor, Burke was also noted for her famous portrait of President Franklin D. Roosevelt, which was the model for the engraving on the dime. She was also as a gifted educator and tireless promoter of the arts.
One reason why I chose this piece because it has a great texture. You can see many marks of the artist as she created this very large relief sculpture. You can just imagine Burke using her fingers to manipulate and shape the textured background or use large tools to carve out the figures. The original material used to create the piece is believed to be a soft material, such as plaster, clay, or wax. Currently, it is installed on the old prison wall on the Museum’s terrace.
Another reason I chose this work is because it expresses one of Burke’s favorite themes, family love and unity, featuring a man and a woman embracing a young child. This particular sculpture is made out of bronze, from the lost wax casting process. Read More »