Apache Mountain Spirit Dancer by Craig Dan Goseyun. Photo: Mark MacLenna
The famed Harrison Sculpture Garden at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum often gets the lion’s share of the buzz for outdoor art. And it deserves it. Ingrid Lenz Harrison and Alfred Harrison collected art from leading sculptors in 11 countries and gifted them to the arboretum. The abstract works, inspired by nature, myth and meditation, perch atop 3 rolling acres against a stunning backdrop of blue sky, trees and flowers.
Visitors can explore the sculptures in several ways, including by map or a self-guided audio tour. A new must-see is the Dakota Sacred Hoop Walk, augmented reality art by Spirit Lake Dakota tribal member and artist Marlena Myles, which begins in the sculpture garden.
Additionally, the arboretum hosts numerous less visible gems. More than 50 sculptures are dotted across the 1,200-acre public garden. Intertwined nymphs dance in a courtyard. Two figures deeply connect to Mother Earth reach skyward from an elongated base. A traditional boxwood hedge is replaced by recycled glass and rocks. A bronze family, arms raised in exultation, overlooks manicured hedges.
As the seasons unfold and when art is sited to intentionally interact with nature, it’s exciting to see how sculptures change. A work that appeared stark in winter’s gray becomes joyful as flowers bloom. And a mass of giant red aluminum beams becomes part of a sea of color amid the bright green of spring.
Lynette Kalsnes is a media strategist at the arboretum and is studying to become a master gardener intern. Learn more at arb.umn.edu.
