The Register Citizen (Torrington, CT)
Experience art in the wild
As the weather grows warmer and the sun begins to shine a bit brighter, now seems like the perfect opportunity to get outside.
Now, hiking isn’t for everyone, but with these sculpture gardens folks can go out and enjoy the great outdoors while perusing the art.
Here’s a list of four sites to explore art in the great outdoors.
Sculpturedale - Kent
Take an artistic safari in Kent by strolling through the sculpted menagerie at Sculpturedale. Sculptor Denis Curtiss has a variety of animal sculptures on display, from giraffes to emus to elephants and goats and more, on his property. The pieces on display at Sculpturedale are made from flat sheet metal before Curtiss welds them into shape using a cubist style. “Never static, the animals are in a state of movement: horses prance or rear, goats leap, cats pounce, elephants trumpet, roosters stomp. They each have a personality and a name,” Curtiss states on his website. Sculpturedale is free to visit and open to the public.
Sculpturedale is located at 3 Carter Road, Kent.
For more information visit, deniscurtisssculptor.com.
The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum - Ridgefield
You don’t need the night sky to take in the stars at the Aldrich, at least not during their outdoor exhibition of “Stella’s Stars.” The Aldrich grounds currently have an outdoor installation of sculptor Frank Stella’s work on display through Sept. 27. The museum also has an indoor installation of his work that runs until May 9.
“Stars are complicated but interesting shapes,” Stella said in a previous interview with Hearst Connecticut Media. “They become even more interesting when exploring their relationship with other things.”
The Aldrich Contemporary
Art Museum is located at 258 Main Street, Ridgefield.
For more information, visit thealdrich.org.
Sculpture Grounds - Old Lyme
Take a moment to interact with the art in Old Lyme. Artist Gilbert Boro has more than 90 sculptures on display at the Sculpture Grounds.
The Sculpture Grounds are part of the Studio 80 + Sculpture Grounds, which aims to foster a community between art and nature. The architect-turned-sculptor actually lives on the 4.5 acres of the Sculpture Grounds, which features a variety of large-scale contemporary sculptures.
“I believe that threedimensional art should be handled, touched, and experienced in three dimensions. I want people to not only view my art but touch and explore it,” Boro states on the Sculpture Grounds website. “It brings me great joy to watch people of all ages interacting with my sculptures.”
While the indoor studios and facilities at Studio 80 are currently closed to the public, the grounds are open and free for the public to peruse. The grounds are open daily 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Sculpture Grounds are located at 80 Lyme Street, Old Lyme.
For more information, visit sculpturegrounds.com/ the-sculpture-grounds.
David Hayes Sculpture Fields - Coventry
Hartford native and internationally showcased modernist sculptor David Hayes died in 2013, but his art lives on at the David Hayes Sculpture Fields in Coventry. The fields showcase 10 acres of sculptures among the property’s serene and bucolic wildlife. The artist’s son, David Hayes Jr., said he remembers growing up and listening to his father sing as he worked on his sculptures.
“There are acres and acres of grounds with sculptures all over the grounds and it's a nice way to immerse yourself in large scale artwork,” Hayes said. “It’s a great way to spend a Saturday afternoon.”
The Sculpture Fields are open to the public everyday until dusk. Visits are free, but donations are accepted. Visitors can download a map of the fields online to tour around on their own, or they can contact Hayes about scheduling a docent led tour of the grounds.