Flock, by Allison Wiese
"The participating artists draw their inspiration from diverse sources at Evergreen...
[t]heir interpretations, while widely divergent, are always thought provoking and provide new perspectives on Evergreen."
- Jackie O'Regan, Curator |
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May 17, 2004-Sculpture at Evergreen, a biennial exhibition of 10 site-specific sculptures, opened to the public at Evergreen House at 4545 North Charles St. in Baltimore on Saturday, May 8 with a reception from 2 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. The exhibition will continue through September 26.
Sculpture at Evergreen was developed as a means for Evergreen House, a 48-room Italianate home built in 1878 and owned by Baltimore's Garrett family, to exhibit contemporary art related to the historic site. According to Evergreen Curator, Jackie O'Regan, "The participating artists draw their inspiration from diverse sources at Evergreen-from the lives of the people who called it home to the site's natural and constructed environments and specific pieces of art in the estate's collection. The artists have complete freedom in terms of choosing their subject matter and materials. Their interpretations, while widely divergent, are always thought provoking and provide new perspectives on Evergreen."
The juror for the 2004 exhibition is Jennifer McGregor, visual arts curator at Wave Hill, a 28-acre public garden and cultural center in the Bronx. The 10 artists selected for the show are Sylvia Benitez of Cecilton, MD; Anthony Cervino of Baltimore; Adam Dougherty of Baltimore; Laure Drogoul of Baltimore; Lisa Hein and Bob Seng of New York; Michael Krondl of New York; Brian McCutcheon of Philadelphia; Renée Rendine of Baltimore; Bill Schuck of New York; and Allison Wiese of Houston.
Among the works on view this year will be a tea house, made entirely out of cardboard, by Adam Dougherty. His structure, an exact replica (although 25% smaller) of a tea house built on the Evergreen property in the 1880s will be situated on the original's location. Dougherty explains that for the original, "Tree bark and cedar were used because of their accessibility and abundance. The cardboard will act in the same vein...By definition, the material will also speak directly about the impermanence and ephemeral existence of the tea house, which vanished by the early 1930s."
Brian McCutcheon will create an enormous ornate arch that will frame the fountain in Evergreen's garden. Fascinated by Alice Warder Garrett's private theatre at Evergreen and interested in opera and movie houses in America, McCutcheon's arch will, in his words, "amp up" a modest feature in the private garden, making the fountain the "stage" and the garden the "main characters."
Allison Wiese also draws upon Alice Warder Garrett's interest in theater, among other sources, as the inspiration for her installation. In Flock, Wiese will create a one-acre pasture area on Evergreen's grounds, containing a flock of live sheep. Alice Garrett had five stage sets at Evergreen that she would use when entertaining her husband and guests. When she displayed one of the sets, an Irish barnyard, Garrett would dress in a shepherdess-like costume and sit upon a pink satin-roped swing. This stage set will be on display in the Bakst Theatre during the exhibition. According to Wiese, the sheep also refer to the self-sufficient European country estates that were the original models for America's great houses and landscape architect Frederick Law Olmstead's influence on the layout of Evergreen's grounds.
The May 8 opening reception for Sculpture at Evergreen is free to the public. In addition to the opening reception, Evergreen will present a series of related programs and performances throughout the summer and fall including: a performance by Laure Drogoul on June 11 at 8 p.m.; "A Summer Evening at Evergreen," featuring an open studio with Evergreen's artist-in-residence and a dress rehearsal performance by the Shakespeare Festival on July 8 at 5 p.m.; Family Days on Sundays, August 1 and 15; and an outdoor screening of the film, "Rivers and Tides," about the sculpture of Scottish artist, Andy Goldsworthy, on August 6 (rain date August 13) at 9 p.m.
Sculpture at Evergreen is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekdays, and from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. on weekends. For a self-guided tour, maps of the exhibition will be available to visitors, free of charge, outside the house. An indoor exhibition featuring models and sketches of the show and a four-color exhibition catalog will be offered throughout the length of the exhibition for $3/person. Guided tours and the catalog of Sculpture at Evergreen will be offered on Sundays at 2 p.m. throughout the exhibition for $5/ person.
CALENDAR OF PROGRAMS
From May through September of 2004, Evergreen House will host a series of public programs for adults and children in conjunction with the exhibition, Sculpture at Evergreen. For more information on these programs, the public should call (410) 516-0341.
- Opening Reception
May 8, 2004, 2 - 4:30 p.m., Free
- Guided Tours
Every Sunday, May 9 - September 26, 2 p.m., $5/person
Enjoy a guided tour of the exhibition, including a chance to see the participating artists' drawings and models of their work. A copy of the exhibition catalog is included in the price of the tour.
- "A Delightful Evening of Remarkable Performance," by Laure Drogoul
Friday, June 18, 2004, 8 p.m., $5/person
Contributing artist Laure Drogoul and other artists present a cabaret, "A Delightful Evening of Remarkable Performance," in the Bakst Theatre.
- "A Summer Evening at Evergreen"
July 8, 5 p.m., Free
An opportunity to enjoy Sculpture at Evergreen after hours, visit the studio of Evergreen's 2004 artist-in-residence, and enjoy a picnic dinner in the meadow while watching a dress rehearsal of "The Tempest" by the Baltimore Shakespeare Festival.
- Family Day
Sunday August 1, 1 - 4 p.m., tour at 2 p.m., Free
Children of all ages are invited on guided tours of the exhibition and can take part in sculpture-making activities.
- Screening of "Rivers and Tides"
Friday, August 6 (rain date is August 13), 7:30 p.m. gates open, 8:30 program and film $5/person or $20/car
Working outdoors in natural settings, Andy Goldsworthy creates elegant, ephemeral sculptures out of leaves, stones, and ice. This documentary film on the critically acclaimed Scottish artist will be screened outside at Evergreen. Area artists will introduce the film and visitors are invited to bring a picnic, come early, and enjoy Sculpture at Evergreen. Beverages and popcorn will be sold and the first 100 guests will receive a free Sculpture at Evergreen catalog. Tickets are available at www.missiontix.com. Co-presented by Creative Alliance, Herring Run Watershed Association and Herring Run Artist Network (HERAN).
- Family Day
Sunday August 15, 1 - 4 p.m., tour at 2 p.m., Free
Children of all ages are invited on guided tours of the exhibition and can take part in sculpture-making activities.
- "Responding to History and Place"
Friday, September 17, 6 - 8 p.m., Free
Guest curator Jennifer McGregor describes Evergreen as "a place of transition, from private estate to a contemporary public place, a historic property that welcomes a contemporary audience." Join McGregor and a group of Sculpture at Evergreen artists for a discussion about ways they have tapped into the past to engage contemporary viewers.
For information about Sculpture at Evergreen, call 410-516-0341 or visit www.jhu.edu/historichouses.
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Sculpture at Evergreen is made possible through the generous support of the Jacob and Hilda Blaustein Foundation, the Constance R. Caplan Foundation, the Margaret O. Cromwell Family Fund, the Hecht-Levi Foundation the France-Merrick Foundation, Mercantile-Safe Deposit and Trust Company, The Rouse Company Foundation, Inc., Stanley Mazaroff and Nancy Dorman, Cindy and Tom Kelly, Ziger/Snead LLP Architects, and the Evergreen House Foundation.
Evergreen House, an impressive Italianate building with classical revival additions, was built in 1857 by the Broadbent family. It was purchased in 1878 by John W. Garrett, president of the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad, for his son, T. Harrison Garrett. Throughout the 1880s, T. Harrison and his wife, Alice Whitridge Garrett, carried out an ambitious program of renovation and construction on the estate. Their eldest son, John Work Garrett, inherited the house in 1920 and continued with his wife, Alice Warder Garrett, the family tradition of modifying and expanding Evergreen. Upon his death in 1942, Mr. Garrett bequeathed the estate to The Johns Hopkins University, with the stipulation that the mansion remain open to "lovers of music, art and beautiful things." Today, Evergreen showcases the more than 50,000 extraordinary and eclectic objects assembled by two generations of the Garrett family.
Evergreen House is located at 4545 North Charles Street near the campuses of Loyola College and the College of Notre Dame.
For a virtual tour of Evergreen House, please visit www.jhu.edu/~evrgreen/tour.html.
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