View, the arts center in Old Forge, is currently undergoing a transformation as its parking lot island is being re-designed in preparation for a permanent outdoor sculpture installation by artist Lewis Bryden.
The sculpture, titled “Nature as Muse,” is an 8-foot cast bronze figure of a girl with her hand reaching up to a bird.
The statue will be placed next to a small reflecting pool surrounded by lawn. The island will also include shade trees and evergreens, benches, boulders, and a walkway.
“Nature is the inspiration for art, and the sculpture personifies this with the young girl making contact with a wild bird,” Bryden said.
“More than most sculptures, this work is about nature, and so it seemed important to surround it with a natural setting. ”
The entire installation is a gift to View from Lewis and Betsy Bryden, to commemorate the lives of Betsy’s grandparents, Elizabeth Elliot and Edward Mallinckrodt, Jr., who were longtime summer residents of Old Forge and avid art collectors.
Betsy’s grandmother introduced her to Miriam Kashiwa, founder of the arts center that is now called View, more than 50 years ago.
“Our hope is that people will feel inspired by the statue and the setting, and that they will reflect on art and nature,” Betsy said.As part of bronze casting process, Bryden created a maquette, or small scale model of the sculpture.
“It helps the artist and others to visualize the sculpture and to identify problems early,” he said. He added that he also did a portrait study as an exercise to explore the character of the young girl.
The maquette and portrait study for “Nature as Muse” are currently on display at View. The portrait has been donated to View’s permanent collection, and the maquette will be raffled as a fund raiser for the arts center.
The sculpture installation will be completed by early July.
A dedication will take place at View’s annual gala on Friday, July 6 and will be open to the public on the following day.
For more information about View, visit www.ViewArts.org or call (315) 369-6411.
