Art in the Orchard
Late summer brings the thrill of “Art in the Orchard”, a local sculpture and performance venue…in a working orchard!
Art in the Orchard (AiO) is a super-fun event that happens every other year in my hometown. Thirty-or-so artists are invited to create special installations for an art walk through a local orchard. It opens in August and runs through Thanksgiving. People come – and come back again – with family, friends and picnics.
The orchard hosts Sunday yoga by the art installations and has live music now and then. My favorite is the Full Moon Art Walk, where local writers read prose and poetry inspired by the art. Everyone gathers and progresses from piece to piece by torchlight. Afterward we enjoy apple pie, cider, and the night sky.
My proposal for AiO 2017, “Through The Looking Glass” is beautiful to see and experience in the landscape, as well as being thought-provoking. It’s about frames of reference – where are we looking/feeling/thinking from? The viewer simultaneously has the experience of seeing the present moment, what is beyond (the future), and what is behind (the past) through the rainbow colors of the chakras.
Chalice and Blade” was my installation for AiO 2015. Approximately 80 “bottles” – hand blown by me, back in the day when I was a glass blower – hang in a crescent shape from an old scythe handle. With it, I revisit a body of work that continues to fascinate and inspire me. Chalice and blade, the dance of feminine and masculine. The chalice or vessel, is round and open, that which holds and contains. The blade is sharp and pointy, that which separates and divides. What is the dance of shiva and shakti, how do they interact, supporting each other and how are they influenced by the forces of nature and time?
The piece hung from an arching branch of an ancient apple tree on the edge of the woods, swaying gently in the breeze like a giant wind harp. With time, some of the bottles filled with rainwater, seeds blew in, and things started to grow. One of the things I loved most was the conversations I had with people who were moved, touched, and inspired by it. The magic of glass, light, color, and water sparked their creativity, which is one of the many gifts of art.
“Verde Bench” graced the lower field in 2013. Under a tree on the edge of the woods it provided a stellar resting spot to view the blueberry bushes.
