The springtime cold snap that caused widespread blossom death on Old Frog Pond Farm’s organic apple trees means there will be no apple picking there this fall. But apples are not the only things cultivated at this unique agricultural and artistic space on Eldridge Road. On Sept. 3, the farm will celebrate the opening of its 10th annual sculpture walk, an outdoor exhibition featuring the work of 24 New England artists, including work by the farm’s owner, orchardist and artist Linda Hoffman. Not even this year’s bad weather can squelch the farm’s creative spirit.
“There’s a lot of new things happening this year, which is really nice for those who have been before,” said Hoffman earlier this month in an interview at the exhibition’s site. She described feeling excited about including work by artists who haven’t participated in the exhibition before, using newly cleared trails and displaying art in places they’ve never used before, including one piece that will hang suspended from a rope over the farm’s pond.
Linda Hoffman rings the “Olympic Bell,” a piece by Paul Matisse featured at the 2004 Athens Olympics. (Photos by Lisa Aciukewicz)
This year also marks the first in which the farm will display a musical sculpture. The “Olympic Bell” is a new installation by Groton-based artist Paul Matisse, a piece that was featured at the 2004 Athens Olympics. The bell sits as one of the central destination points in this year’s sculpture walk, surrounded by stately pine trees in what Hoffman calls a “forest Acropolis,” reminiscent of the Athenian Acropolis that loomed over the bell while it was displayed in Greece. Unlike a museum with velvet ropes and “do not touch” signs, guests are allowed to ring the bell as part of the sensory experience of the walk. The sound, a deep resonant tone that continues to vibrate around the trees for minutes after a single tug of the rope, roots the metal sculpture into the natural world, making the industrial-looking bell somehow seem at home in its forested surroundings.
While an enormous sculpture like the bell fits comfortably among the towering trees, smaller pieces, such as Hoffman’s own meditating figures that measure only a few inches high, also fit seamlessly into the natural environment at the farm. Hoffman, who sites all the sculptures in the walk, recognizes the importance of including pieces of all sizes, from large to intimate, and ensuring each is able to “hold a space” even without the benefit of walls or frames to draw the eye to the work. She described the sometimes arduous process of carrying fragile artwork from place to place, working with a team until each piece is displayed in an area offering the right balance of integration and exposure. “Most of the sculptures are somehow connected to nature,” she said, explaining that using natural materials, themes, or physical elements such as wind or sound helps the pieces feel at home in an outdoor display. While it is not required that the participating artists use nature in their work, most do. “I am drawn to natural materials in my own work,” Hoffman said. Then she added, “But really, if you’re working outdoors, why wouldn’t you interact with nature.”
When asked what she thinks might draw visitors to the sculpture walk this year, Hoffman said she believes displaying art in a natural environment makes the exhibition accessible to all kinds of people, especially those without a strong artistic background. “There’s nothing here that makes you feel like you don’t understand it, or wonder if it’s art. There’s nothing here that’s complicated. It’s not a huge walk; it’s not a taxing hike. Most people who come here are delighted, because if you’re open, any art can touch us and is amazing. Any art. You don’t have to have a historical perspective.”
“It’s a beautiful property,” she added. “It begs to be shared. And it inspires me, and has inspired a lot of other people.”
The sculpture walk costs $7 for individuals and $20 for families, and is open on weekends, including Labor Day and Columbus Day, from Sept. 3 through Oct. 10. Guests can visit between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. to take the self-guided tour around the looping trail, which is just two-thirds of a mile long. Special programming is planned for each weekend, including a dramatic performance of Walt Whitman’s writings, an artists’ reception with live music, a plein-air poetry reading, and a drum circle. More information can be found at the farm’s website, oldfrogpondfarm.com.
“Peering Around the Corner,” a stone sculpture by Joseph Wheelright.
BJ Andrus created her sculpture “Spider” when she was in her 80s.
A ringmaster is part of “Circus,” a set of sculptures made of reclaimed materials by Madeleine Lord and Robert Hesse.
