FARMINGTON, CT - Hill-Stead Museum is pleased to announce an installation of twelve wind sculptures by renowned kinetic artist Lyman Whitaker, to be exhibited in the museum’s Kitchen Garden through 2011, courtesy of Leopold Gallery, Kansas City. Hill-Stead’s rolling estate provides an ideal backdrop for these peaceful, undulating works, which interact with even the slightest breeze. The sculptures, ranging in height from 5 to 28 feet, are handmade of copper and stainless steel, and can be arranged individually or in groups.
“We have so enjoyed seeing how each graceful sculpture catches the breeze in the Kitchen Garden; the wind sculptures remind me of poetry in motion,” said Sue Sturtevant, Executive Director and CEO of Hill-Stead. “I hope that our visitors not only enjoy them here, but might wish to have one (or more) in their own back yards.” The works are for sale, with a portion of each purchase benefiting Hill-Stead Museum. Visitors can pick up a brochure on the grounds, open daily 7:30 am – 5:30 pm, or inquire in the Museum Shop Tuesday – Sunday, 10 am – 4 pm.
Whitaker, whose studio is near Zion National Park in Utah, draws his inspiration from hiking and sailing. He has been creating kinetic art for 25 years, and shows with galleries in Kennebunkport and Santa Fe as well as the Leopold Gallery in Kansas City. Collectors include the Chandon Winery in Napa Valley, the Missouri Botanical Gardens in Saint Louis, Sea World in Orlando, and private collectors nationwide. To see a preview of Whitaker’s works, visit http://www.leopoldgallery.com/artistart.asp?At=LymanWhitaker; or you can experience this stunning collection in person at Hill-Stead Museum.
A National Historic Landmark, Hill-Stead Museum in Farmington, CT, is a stop on the Connecticut Art Trail and a member of Connecticut’s Historic Gardens. The period rooms are open for tours Tuesday through Sunday, 10 am – 4 pm. The last tour of the day begins at 3 pm. Grounds are open daily 7:30 am-5:30 pm. For tour and program information, browse www.hillstead.org or call 860.677.4787.
Hill-Stead is noted for its 1901 33,000-square-foot house filled with art and antiques, all displayed in their original, intimate family setting. Pioneering female architect Theodate Pope Riddle designed the grand house, set on 152 hilltop acres, to showcase the Impressionist masterpieces amassed by her father, Cleveland iron industrialist Alfred A. Pope. Collections include original furnishings, paintings by Monet, Degas, Manet, Whistler and Cassatt, as well as numerous works on paper and Japanese woodblock prints. Stately trees, seasonal gardens, meadows, over three miles of stone walls and blazed hiking trails accent the grounds. A centerpiece of the property is the c. 1920 Sunken Garden designed by landscape architect Beatrix Farrand, today the site of the renowned Sunken Garden Poetry Festival.
