Babette Bloch’s Surf’s Up features a fish leaping upward from a tall pedestal.
Lenox is known for its walkability, and this summer there’s no better way to see the heart of our town than by taking the 2017 Lenox Sculpture Walk.
This walking tour of a different, curated set of three-dimensional art has been part of Lenox’s slate of summer attractions for several years, taking a contemporary turn this season and featuring artists who may work with unconventional materials, but also honor nature and history in their own ways.
Three New England artists and one from afar have contributed their work: Nic Noblique of Clyde, Texas joins Drew Klotz of Weston, Conn., Babette Bloch of Redding, Conn., and Michael Alfano of Hopkinton, Mass. The exhibit is hosted by The Wit Gallery, a staple of Lenox’s art scene since 1999.
The tour follows a route that offers a full look at Lenox Village in addition to a one-of-a-kind experience with new art. Each piece is accompanied by a small, scannable QR code sign at its base, allowing visitors to learn more about each work of art via smartphone as they stroll the town at their own pace.
Near Lilac Park on Main Street three of Noblique’s mammoth, steel sculptures are featured.
Beginning at Lilac Park on Main Street, for instance, three of Noblique’s mammoth, steel sculptures at first create a great contrast with downtown’s classic New England character. A closer look at his work, however, reveals art that has been inspired by nature and landscapes in particular. Most of Noblique’s works also carry decidedly poetic titles, including Turn Tomorrow into Yesterday and Don’t Stop, Just Believe Me.
The kinetic sculptures of Drew Klotz are installed across Main Street at Reading Park adjacent to the Lenox Library (formerly the Berkshire County courthouse), as well as on Church Street at The Wit Gallery. These works, set in motion by the wind to perpetually rock or spin with the breeze, are just a small selection of sculptures by Klotz currently on view across the U.S.
At the Corners of Church and Housatonic Street, Babette Bloch’s Surf’s Up features a fish leaping upward from a tall pedestal. Bloch creates figurative and often nature-inspired works from laser- and water-jet-cut stainless steel, and on bright days, this work catches the sunlight and creates shadows that add even more dimension to the pieces.
Finally, at the Gateways Inn on Walker Street, Michael Alfano’s We Two Together – its title a nod to a line from Walt Whitman’s epic poem “Leaves of Grass” – includes two bronze figures that create one face through an innovative use of negative space.
All of the pieces will remain on display now through Columbus Day weekend, and are available to purchase through The Wit Gallery at 27 Church Street.
Planning to take the tour? Stop in to our new Visitor’s Center at 4 Housatonic Street for more information, visit our website, or call 413.637.3646.
~ J. Stevenson
