Lift Off with Spring Sculpture Exhibitions at Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park
Paul Villinski: Flight Patterns Jennifer Angus: Flying Jewels & Other Lofty Insects March 29–August 18, 2024
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich., Feb. 22, 2024 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- This spring, Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park is pleased to present two uplifting sculpture exhibitions. Paul Villinski: Flight Patterns and Jennifer Angus: Flying Jewels & Other Lofty Insects will run concurrently from March 29 through August 18, 2024.
These two distinct exhibitions, featuring the work of renowned contemporary artists Paul Villinski and Jennifer Angus, transform the indoor sculpture galleries into a space where art converges with airborne creatures and creations. Guests are invited to lose themselves in these dramatic installations, which offer rich sensory experiences that ignite the imagination.
Paul Villinski: Flight Patterns
Paul Villinski, a licensed pilot, takes us on an artistic journey through the aerial realm, exploring various interpretations of "flight"—both literal and metaphorical. His sculptures, crafted from found materials like aluminum cans, old knives, and vinyl LPs, evoke themes of transformation and redemption. Villinski's work addresses serious subjects such as addiction and environmentalism, while honoring the past life of the materials he uses. A highlight of this exhibition is a scaled-down World War II B-25 bomber, repurposed as a symbol of hope and attention to global food scarcity.
Jennifer Angus: Flying Jewels & Other Lofty Insects
Jennifer Angus, an artist celebrated for her kaleidoscopic insect installations, offers a compelling vision of these often-overlooked creatures. In Flying Jewels & Other Lofty Insects, Angus uses insects as her prime medium, covering walls and windows, and filling bell jars and jelly jars, to create an operatic world of wonder. Her work, enlisting both Victorian aesthetics and the glamourous iridescence of beetle wings, raises awareness of the vital yet threatened insect population. The exhibition is a reverent homage to these exotic, enchanting and sometimes disquieting beings.
Join us this spring to experience the transformative power of art and nature in unison. These exhibitions and related programs are a testament to our ongoing commitment to presenting inspiring and thought-provoking programming.
Exhibition Activities:
Unless otherwise noted, programs are included in the cost of admission and registration is not required.
Butterflies, Birds & Other Winged Things: Flight in Art History
Sunday, April 7 | 2–3 pm
Suzanne Eberle, PhD, Professor Emerita, Kendall College of Art and Design
Inspired by insects and birds, artists have long used the theme of flight both to investigate the natural world and to articulate deep human fears, needs, and aspirations. Come explore how and why being airborne has so fascinated artists throughout history.
Insects, Art and Advocacy
Wednesday, May 15 | 6–7 pm
Registration required at: MeijerGardens.org/calendar
Jennifer Angus, Professor of Design Studies, University of Wisconsin
Jennifer Angus' work provokes a series of increasingly urgent questions in the age of climate change and argues that insects are the key to Earth's well-being. Her presentation will explore the ability of art to cultivate discourse on the topic.
A full list of exhibition activities can be found at: MeijerGardens.org/calendar
Paul Villinski: Flight Patterns and Jennifer Angus: Flying Jewels & Other Lofty Insects are made possible by:
Louis and Helen Padnos Foundation
The Meijer Foundation
Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Foundation
Botanic and Sculpture Societies of Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park
About Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park
Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park, one of the world's most significant botanic and sculpture experiences, was recently named the Top Sculpture Park in the United States by USA Today's "10Best Readers' Choice" and listed as the 81st-most-visited museum in the world by The Art Newspaper, the leading global art news publication. Education programs welcome 80,000 students and guests each year. Culinary Arts & Events offerings include weddings, corporate meetings and award-winning catering. The 158-acre main campus features Michigan's largest tropical conservatory; one of the country's largest interactive children's gardens; arid and Victorian gardens with bronze sculptures by Edgar Degas and Auguste Rodin; a carnivorous plant house; outdoor gardens, including a replica 1930s-era farm garden; an 8-acre Japanese garden featuring contemporary sculpture; and a 1,900-seat outdoor amphitheater garden, showcasing an eclectic mix of world-renowned touring musicians each summer. The permanent collection highlights hundreds of sculptures from internationally acclaimed artists Magdalena Abakanowicz, El Anatsui, Louise Bourgeois, Alexander Calder, Mark di Suvero, Marshall Fredericks, Henry Moore, Michele Oka Donor, Beverly Pepper, Jaume Plensa, Auguste Rodin, Richard Serra, Yinka Shonibare CBE and Ai Weiwei, among others. Indoor galleries with changing sculpture exhibitions have presented shows by Jonathan Borofsky, Edgar Degas, Jim Dine, Richard Hunt, Cristina Iglesias, Rebecca Louise Law, Pablo Picasso, George Segal and others.
Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park promotes the enjoyment, understanding, and appreciation of gardens, sculpture, the natural environment, and the arts.
Media Contact
John VanderHaagen, Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park, 6169753180, jvanderhaagen@meijergardens.org, www.MeijerGardens.org
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