Bloedel Reserve celebrates 25 Years with Outdoor Sculpture Exhibit
Greater Seattle's 150-acre public garden, The Bloedel Reserve on Bainbridge Island, will stage its first-ever outdoor sculpture exhibit in honor of its 25 Year Anniversary, featuring all new work by renowned Northwest sculpture artist, Julie Speidel.
Consistently ranked as one of the top 10 gardens in the country (USA Today, Fine Gardening, Journal of Japanese Gardening, Horticulture Magazine), the highly-unique The Bloedel Reserve is located a short ferry ride away from downtown Edmonds on peaceful Bainbridge Island.
The one-of-a-kind, special exhibition in partnership with Speidel features 12 unique pieces that highlight specific areas of the garden space and will be installed throughout the grounds in key areas including its noted Moss Garden, Japanese Garden, and on a bluff overlooking Puget Sound.
The exhibition is entitled, "An Experience: Sculpture in the Landscape," and will run August 30-October 13, 2013.
Guided by founder Prentice Bloedel's vision that art should enhance the landscape, not detract from nature, Speidel created art to blend harmoniously with the Reserve's natural beauty and to draw the eye towards often overlooked areas of the grounds. She drew inspiration from the glacial erratic rocks found throughout the Pacific Northwest region.
"It looks like a glacier left it," Speidel said about her multi-faceted burnt umber sculpture that will grace the Reserve's Moss Garden. "The whole concept has been for the sculptures to stop visitors at a certain place, and draw them in."
"Speidel's sensitivity to the Reserve's principles made her an excellent partner, as this exhibit is the first of its kind to be held on the Reserve's property," Ed Moydell, The Bloedel Reserve's executive director commented. "When Mr. Bloedel originally conceived the gardens, he was thinking of them as overall landscape compositions. He hopes the exhibit will give visitors an enhanced, multi-dimensional experience, and Julie has created these sculptures with the Reserve specifically in mind. Art lovers will experience nature, and nature lovers will experience art."
All 12 of Speidel's sculptures will be available for sale through The Bloedel Reserve's two partners galleries: Gail Severn and Winston/Wachter.
The Bloedel Reserve, 7571 NE Dolphin Drive, Bainbridge Island WA 98110, 206-842-7631
August 30- October 13, Hours: 10am - 4pm, Days: Tues - Sun
Tickets sold on site. No advance tickets. Exhibition is included with regular admission
Adults - $13
Seniors (65+), Military - $9
Students - $5
12 and under - FREE
Visiting the Reserve can be a beautiful day trip from Seattle. I recently wrote about it:
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