Calder Gardens, a new art and nature destination along Philadelphia’s Benjamin Franklin Parkway, has opened. The venue features a gallery dedicated to the renowned sculptor Alexander Calder, as well as outdoor gardens designed for contemplation and reflection.
Here, the landscape’s cyclical design, which changes with the seasons, mirrors Calder’s artistic philosophy.
Beneath the gardens, an indoor and outdoor sanctuary features 31 Calder works, including mobiles and stabiles, some of which are displayed in the United States for the first time.
The project is a collaboration between the Barnes Foundation and the Calder Foundation, which provided the curatorial vision for the indoor gallery.
“My grandfather realized you could draw a figure in a wire — like, a two-dimensional drawing but expanded in three dimensions,” said Sandy Rower, the grandson of the sculptor and president of the Calder Foundation, to CBS News. “Make a volumetric drawing of a person, a portrait, or an acrobat, or an animal, or some scene, and creating something that was experienced by people in a very different way than you would a solid mass.”
Public programming is being planned to energize the space further, including sonic experiences and collective singing.
“We really want you to be able to have an unmitigated experience. We want nobody between you and the art,” Rower said.
Philadelphia’s connection to Calder’s legacy spans nearly three generations. According to Action News 6, notable Calder landmarks in the city include the William Penn statue atop City Hall and the Swann Memorial Fountain at Logan Circle. Calder Gardens now adds to this cultural heritage in the city.
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