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Eco-artist to create outdoor sculpture with volunteers in May residency
Chanhassen, Minn. (Jan. 12, 2010) - The Minnesota Landscape Arboretum will host acclaimed environmental sculptor Patrick Dougherty as an artist-in-residence for a three-week "Big Build" exhibit in late spring of 2010, presented by J.P. Morgan.
Dougherty - working with a legion of arboretum volunteers - will create one of his remarkable, hallmark sculptures woven from tree saplings and forest thinnings and designed exclusively for the arboretum.
The work-in-progress exhibit will take place May 3-22 on the center island in front of the arboretum's Oswald Visitor Center - a "center stage" site easily tracked by visitors. (Progress on "Big Build" also will be captured via a garden cam and blog at www.arboretum.umn.edu.) The sculpture design and construction by Dougherty will be an inclusive and collaborative work of art, using volunteers throughout the building process. All come together to make this a powerful opening act for the arboretum's summerlong exhibition "Powerhouse Plants," which opens June 5 and continues through Oct. 10. Information on volunteer opportunities for "Big Build" will be available in March at www.arboretum.umn.edu.
Dougherty will be the featured speaker at "An Evening with Patrick Dougherty" on Thursday, May 13, from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at the Oswald Visitor Center. The creative force behind "Big Build" will present a visual tour of his art installations around the world - from New York to California, Japan to Australia and just about everywhere in between. He will also share his personal story - his beginnings and his journey to acclaim as world-renowned environmental artist. (Fee is $10 for members and $20 for non-members; check the website at www.arboretum.umn.edu for details.)
What form will Dougherty's sculpture take? The answer will reveal itself during the actual construction process. Not one to impose preconceived ideas, artist Dougherty says he relies on inspiration from the local environment when creating his organic, free-standing sculptures. Each of his works is a unique distillation of the essence of the site, its plants and people. During a preliminary site visit last summer, Dougherty sought input from arboretum staff and community members on the organization's goals and mission and studied the construction site, as well as sources for building materials. All these factors help shape the creative process.
Dougherty combines his carpentry skill with his love for nature to create large-scale, on-site temporary sculptures out of tree saplings. His work has developed from individual pedestal-scale sculptures to immense environments that require truckloads of saplings.
"We're honored and excited to host this internationally known artist," said Mary Meyer, interim arboretum director. "It will be interesting to watch the larger-than-life sculpture take shape."
The Dougherty sculpture will remain on display throughout the run of the Arboretum's "Powerhouse Plants" summer exhibition and for up to a full year. "Big Build with Patrick Dougherty" is sponsored by J.P. Morgan.
As an extension of Dougherty's artistry, the Arboretum will create "Stickworks Studio," a new drop-in, open-air natural area "under the trees" for art and sculpture-building and located next to the arboretum's Marion Andrus Learning Center. Dougherty will be special guest at the opening ceremony for "Stickworks Studio" on May 22.
"This shady spot will be well-stocked with willow branches, so we invite visitors of all ages inspired by Dougherty's work to stop by and create their own designs. It will be fun to watch the ever-changing results," said Sandy Tanck, the arboretum's manager of interpretation. Stickworks Studio will be open through Oct. 10.
Plan now to stop by the arboretum in May to watch Dougherty's design take shape from the ground up. In the true spirit of "spring!" it will emerge simultaneously with, and just as quickly as, that more familiar miracle, the burst of spring wildflowers in arboretum woods.
During the last two decades, Dougherty has built more than 150 works throughout the United States, Europe and Asia. In the past five years alone, his work has been exhibited at arboreta, botanic gardens, parks and sculpture gardens in 19 states and four European countries. He has created sculptures at the National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C.; the San Diego Wild Animal Park; and the Copenhagen Botanical Gardens, Denmark.
Dougherty holds degrees from the University of North Carolina and the University of Iowa. He resides in Chapel Hill, N.C. More information is at www.stickwork.net. For more information on the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum, visit www.arboretum.umn.edu or call 952-443-1400.
The Minnesota Landscape Arboretum, the largest public garden in the Upper Midwest and a premier northern arboretum, is part of the College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences at the University of Minnesota and developed as a community and national resource for horticultural and environmental information, research, and public education. It is open year-round (except for Thanksgiving and Christmas) and is located 9 miles west of I-494 on Highway 5 in Chanhassen. The University of Minnesota is an equal opportunity employer and educator.
J.P. Morgan is a leading global financial services firm with assets of $2 trillion and operations in more than 60 countries. The firm is a leader in investment banking, financial services for consumers, small business and commercial banking, financial transaction processing, asset management and private equity. The firm's Private Wealth Management business, located in Minneapolis, is a premier wealth management business focusing on helping high-net-worth individuals and families preserve and grow their wealth as well as shape their legacies for future generations through skillful structuring and experienced trust administration.
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