Vaudreuil-Dorion ‘garden of possibilities’ opening to the public
A little-known private sculpture garden in Vaudreuil-Dorion is opening its doors Sunday for the first in a series of public programs designed to seed support for arts and culture in the region. Home to sculptor Marcel Braitstein and his wife Elaine Steinberg, the garden features heritage buildings, an artist studio, a greenhouse, a pond, masses of flower beds, trees and shrubs, and over 50 sculptures made of metal, wood, mixed-media and stone. A sold-out event in collaboration with the Musée Régional de Vaudreuil-Soulanges on Thursday marks the transition of the private garden to what Steinberg calls a “para-public” garden similar to the Cabot family’s Les Quatre Vents in Malbaie. When Steinberg bought her property on Montée d’Alstonvale in 1989, the land was little more than a sandpit surrounding a big marsh. Over the years, she has transformed the site into a three-acre paradise she calls Gannaiden, the Hebrew name for the Garden of Eden. Steinberg, a retired corporate art curator trained in fine arts, has planted and pruned her garden to create an outdoor art gallery. With her curator’s eye, Steinberg has placed approximately 50 sculptures, mostly by Braitstein, throughout the garden. In Quebec, Braitstein’s sculptures can be found at the Musée des beaux-arts de Montréal, the Musée du Québec and the Musée du Bas St-Laurent, but locals are probably most familiar with the striking birdlike creature that stands watch at the entrance of the Hudson Village Theatre. “I just work in my studio and when it gets too crowded I drag it outside,” said Braitstein. A journey through the garden is a discovery. Giant welded steel insects climb trees and rocks. Solemn stone faces peer out from behind bushes. As the seasons change, so does the garden. Steinberg said rather than weed, she “edits” her garden to remove stray plants and make room for the ones she wants to grow. Details of upcoming programs and events at Gannaiden will be announced on the garden’s website, gannaiden.org (expected to launch next month), as well as on Facebook. Gannaiden: Garden of Possibilities is located at 3045 Montée d’Alstonvale in Vaudreuil-Dorion.