Gardens That Bring Sculpture Into Nature

As summer shifts into high gear, so does the search for fresh air and fresh inspiration, along with some socially distanced elbow room. For many, that means heading to a sculpture park. Across the U.S., sculpture parks are reopening to the public—including what may be the country’s largest, the 500-acre Storm King Art Center in New York’s Hudson Valley. It will start welcoming the public on July 15 as an outdoor-only experience, with more than 100 artworks and two temporary exhibitions, “Kiki Smith River Light” and “Outlooks: Martha Tuttle.”

“People come to parks in a different frame of mind than when they enter into a museum,” said Lauren Ross, executive director of Laumeier Sculpture Park, a 105-acre space in suburban St. Louis, which reopened at the end of April after a roughly three-week closure. “Being in fresh air surrounded by beautiful green space is immediately relaxing.” John Stern, president of Storm King, notes a similar energy. In outdoor spaces, he said, “people feel empowered to find the art on their terms.”

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