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The weather couldn't have been better as the CMWCA gathered for
our fall meeting on November 13th, 2005 at the Andres Institute
of Art in Brookline New Hampshire. It was a balmy 60 degrees with
plenty of sunshine; the sort of day that outdoor enthusiasts long
for. Our national liaison, C.M. Judge had previously met the director
of the Andres Institute of Art, John Weidman, an internationally
renowned sculptor, who invited CMWCA to visit and meet there. It
turned out to be an excellent choice for our outdoor hike through
the sculpture park, and our indoor slide share later in the day.
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The Andres Institute of Art is located on 140 acres of beautiful
woodlands, fields, and an old granite quarry on historic Big
Bear Mountain. Years ago, the area was named Muscatanipus
by Indians who hunted bear there. Eventually it became known
to everyone simply as Big Bear Mountain.
Artist from all over the world come to the Andres Institute
of Art to share their vision and art. It's a wonderful place
where scenic beauty and sculpture come together to combine
in a unique manner.
We were extremely fortunate to have a guided tour through
the sculpture park by Anna Zsok, a dedicated employee and
Andres Institute board member. Not only did she enlightened
us with a behind-the-scenes look at the creation of each sculpture,
but delighted us with details about the artists. Through her
words, the creative process came to life with stories portraying
the scene that unfolded as each piece took shape.
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"Phoenix" by Janis
Karlovs, Latvia
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| One of my favorite sculptures was "Continuity
and Diversity" by Kristine Smock of Colorado. The tall,
thin, and graceful figures possessed faces and bodies that provoked
some haunting images for me. The figures seemed to float above
the ground and brought to mind tales of the "skin walkers"
by mystery and suspense writer Tony Hillerman. They also transported
me back to Anazasi country and the cave dwellings that I've
visited in the Four Corners region of Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado
and Utah. The feeling came to me at various times during our
walk and I found it to be very intriguing.
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"Continuity and Diversity" by Kristine
Smock
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Our guide, Anna Zsok, pictured
in the center with a large brimed hat, answered questions
from our members.
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Each new sculpture touched off a
new series of questions for our guide, Anna Zsok who very patiently
answered them all. Many of the sculptures are extremely large
and heavy which required careful planning to get them permanently
placed. Part of Anna's job at Andres is overseeing the site
preparation for each sculpture and she carefully recounted numerous
stories about how each one was engineered.
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"Process" stone,
ceramic - Anita Sulimanovic Croatia
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After an hour-and-half walk through the top section of the park
we returned to the studio for a slide share and some delicious
food. CMWCA veterans and newcomers alike showed slides and talked
about their work. It was a great way to meet the new members
along with the New Hampshire chapter artists, and to learn more
about each person's art making.
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Our group
takes a short break along the trail
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The whole day was inspirational, enveloped by the peaceful,
spiritual feeling that is Big Bear Mountain. If you were fortunate
enough to be there, you know the feeling. If you missed it,
hopefully you can make it another time.
Article and photos by Patsy McCowan
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