Pinecrest Gardens will host internationally acclaimed American environmental artist Patrick Dougherty for a first-of-itskind artist residency during a 21-day period at Pinecrest Gardens. Dougherty will create new, site-specific sculptural works funded by the Knight Foundation.
Pinecrest Gardens continues its efforts to introduce internationally recognized artists to a public of all ages, cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds sparking a love for the arts and capturing the imagination.
Dougherty’s work, known as Stickwork, at Pinecrest Gardens was made possible through a grant from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, as part of its Knight Arts Challenge. The Knight Foundation’s Knight Arts Challenge funds the best ideas for bringing South Florida together through the arts. Dougherty’s residency will commence in November 2017.
By intertwining twigs and branches Dougherty creates fantastical monumental shapes that ignite a sense of exploration with rich associations to childhood play and the shelters built by animals. The sculpture will be comprised of truck-loads of community sourced saplings.
The installation will require the participation of 100 volunteers who will span generations in age and will add dynamic creativity to the sculpture which is built-up branch by branch and twig by twig. Because of the nature of the materials used the sculpture will last about two years.
Continuing its commitment to monumental sculptural exhibition and education of new audiences, Pinecrest Gardens hopes to partner with past local exhibitors of the artist and area arts magnet programs and other cultural institutions to plan cross-institutional educational programs to include a 3-week student mentorship, film screenings, artist Q&A, student competitions, and a work-inprogress photo competition. These activities will take place during the expected twoyear lifespan of the sculpture.
Judging by the success of the first monumental sculpture offering — Philip Haas’ The Four Seasons which was installed in the Gardens from November 6, 2014 through April 12, 2015 and viewed by over 70,000 during those five months—it is believed that more than 330,000 individuals will view or interact with Dougherty’s work while it is installed.
Dougherty’s first works were modest efforts that used sticks to build objects scaled to his own height. But as opportunities presented themselves, he began to integrate his work into architectural situations and then played sapling sculptures against natural settings. Through experimentation, he was able to up-scale his efforts and to build work that seemed to spin across the tops of buildings and flow through groups of trees.
Dougherty has created nine mammoth ephemeral works each year for over 30 years all over the world including at Deokpyeong Ecoland in Seoul, Korea, Jardin des Arts in Chateaubourg, France, TICKON Sculpture Park in Langeland, Denmark and the Contemporary Art Museum in Honolulu. Totaling, more than 265 sculptures to date.
Holiday Pops
Special event note: Orchestra Miami will be presenting a Holiday “Pops” concert featuring symphonic arrangements of your holiday favorites on Saturday, Dec. 19 at 8:00 p.m., in the Pinecrest Gardens Banyan Bowl,12645 Pinecrest Parkway. For information visit www.pinecrest-fl.gov.
