SDFAS and Quail Botanical Gardens collaborate on a sculpture exhibition and sale, through October
It has been an exciting couple of weeks at the Society. In addition to preparing for our Hearts on Fire Gala, we have been installing a fascinating and diverse group of outdoor sculpture throughout Quail Botanical Gardens that will be on display until the end of October. Many of the artists have participated in the Port's Urban Trees project, which has been so successful and inspiring. It was by taking a tour of the public art projects taking place around the city that I got to know a couple of the Urban Tree artists and to take a good look at the program and the artists involved with it. I must say that the Port's Urban Tree project is one of the most successful, inspiring and fun public art programs I have seen anywhere.
I decided the thing for the Society to do was to create an exhibition of striking outdoor artwork including Urban Trees, but in a park setting, a Phantom Gallery of sorts, where the community could access the artwork easily and could interact with nature and the art in a new way. In this way the San Diego Fine Art Society would be fulfilling its mission of supporting regional artist and bringing artwork out into the community where it can be seen.
Kate McCavitt, an artist I admire greatly and have recently begun collecting, suggested I contact Quail Botanical Gardens, which proved to be an exquisite idea. Julian Duval, Pat Hammer, and Diana Goforth, the visionary leaders of Quail Gardens, agreed. Through a wonderfully enriching process of looking at sculptures, meeting with artists, walking the grounds, and discussing options, we decided on twenty pieces that are in the process of being installed. Most, but not all, have been apart of the Urban Tree program. Pieces like the beautiful mosaic lion, above, by artist Ilona Passino, are simply perfect, and were included because they add the excitement and richness we were looking for in the exhibition.
The process has been a wonderful one, and I am thrilled to see the satisfaction and excitement on the faces of people strolling through the garden making a new discovery as they turn a corner and discover a well-placed work of art in among the trees and flowers. If you haven't been to Quail before or if it has been awhile, there is no better time to go than now.
All of the artwork is for sale, and is positioned in such a way as to help visitors to Quail Botanical Gardens imagine the artwork in their own gardens.
