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Contact:
Hilary Allard
The Castle Group
hallard@thecastlegrp.com
617.337.9524
Stacy Nartker
snartker@thecastlegrp.com
617.337.9530

July 23, 2009

RENOWNED 35 FOOT TALL KINETIC SCULPTURE, BOTANICA, TO BE INSTALLED ON THE ROSE F. KENNEDY GREENWAY ON THURSDAY, JULY 23

What: Botanica, a kinetic sculpture by acclaimed artist George Sherwood, will be installed on The Rose F. Kennedy Greenway this week in collaboration with the Rose F. Kennedy Greenway Conservancy, the non-profit organization that manages the programming and maintenance of the parks on behalf of the public.

The graceful 35 foot tall brushed stainless steel depiction of leaves reaching towards the sky will reflect the sunlight, move in the sea breezes that pass through the neighboring arch of the Rowes Wharf building, and serve as a symbol of Boston’s newest, expansive green space.

The Conservancy is delighted that Mr. Sherwood is introducing this piece to the Greenway this summer, bringing an interesting temporary art exhibit to these new parks. "Botanica" was originally chosen by a juried panel in a collaborative project between the Conservancy and the UrbanArts Institute of the Massachusetts College of Art and Design to install a few temporary exhibits of sculpture in advance of the October 2008 Greenway Inaugural Celebration. However, lack of funding and complexity of installation prevented installation of this work at that time. This spring the Conservancy received the support of a generous private donor. The exhibit will run from July 23, 2009 to December 2010, with the provision that it may be removed during the winter months.

When: Thursday, July 23

Where: The Rose F. Kennedy Greenway, Atlantic Avenue across from Rowes Wharf

About the artist: George Sherwood is an award-winning sculptor whose works have been featured in parks, sculpture gardens at museums, and botanical gardens around the country, but particularly in New England.

Sherwood’s sculptures explore systems that incorporate space, time and the relationships between dynamic objects. The choreography of each piece is governed by a set of basic movements, facilitated by an arrangement of rotating joints and aerodynamic surfaces. The wind provides an unpredictable element of improvisation. Light, landscape and weather are integral to each sculpture. Many of the sculptures echo the vitality and gestures extracted from nature. The swaying of grass in a windy meadow, a flock of birds diving and swooping over the marsh, and the craning of a bird’s neck are patterns of movement that he has employed to give life to static forms. In 2008 he had a solo exhibit “Wind and Light” at the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens in Boothbay, Maine. He also exhibited at the Atlanta Botanical Garden’s Sculpture in Motion exhibition in the summer of 2008.

The reflective qualities of stainless steel further the integration of the sculpture into its environment. Wind speed and direction, shades of light, time of day, precipitation, and seasonal color interplay to transform the qualities of light and movement. Sherwood’s sculptures are best viewed over extended periods to appreciate the interaction with their natural setting. Sherwood is a member of Boston Sculptors and the Royal Society of British Sculptors for more information please visit http://www.georgesherwood.com.

For more information on the sculpture, contact Mary Kuechenmeister at Essex Fine Art, LLC at mary@essexfineart.net or 603.738.7477.

For more information on The Rose F. Kennedy Greenway, visit www.hellogreenway.org or call 617.292.0020. The Greenway parks are fully accessible to people with disabilities. The Rose F. Kennedy Greenway is accessible through the following MBTA Stations: South Station (Red, Silver and Commuter Rail Lines), Aquarium (Blue), Haymarket (Green and Orange), and North Station (Green, Orange and Commuter Rail Lines).

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