Renowned British Sculptor David Nash Opens Exhibition at Meijer Gardens Today

Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park is honored to feature the work of British artist, David Nash, in the large-scale summer exhibition, "David Nash: From Kew Gardens to Meijer Gardens," which opens to the public today, May 23, 2014. Organized by the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew and the artist in conjunction with Meijer Gardens, this broad and comprehensive presentation will feature sculptures, installations and drawings and will remain on display until August 17, 2014.

In 2012, Nash was selected as the first artist-in-residence at the majestic Kew Gardens outside central London. For a year he worked onsite and installed work across the campus of the world's most distinguished botanical garden. Such efforts are the foundation of "David Nash: From Kew Gardens to Meijer Gardens." This presentation, exclusive to Meijer Gardens, will host more than 25 works by this British icon in the sculpture galleries, conservatories and across the gardens and grounds. In addition, Nash will be creating and installing several new works at Meijer Gardens.

"In many ways David Nash and the whole of his career which conjoins sculpture and the natural world, is at the very heart of the mission of Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park," says David Hooker, president and CEO of Meijer Gardens.

For Nash, an internationally renowned sculptor, the use of trees has proven central to his internationally acclaimed body of work. Whether through cutting, charring, casting, planting, drawing, or documentation, trees have been the singular resource for nearly all of his artistic pursuits.

"David Nash's vision and voice is unique and enduring in the realm of Contemporary art," offers Joseph Antenucci Becherer, chief curator and vice president of Meijer Gardens. "From carving to casting to planting, his sculptural repertoire is majestically unlike any other sculptor working today."

A wide array of wood sculptures, complemented by drawings, will be on display throughout the galleries, while a carefully selected group of bronzes will be installed in the Arid and Tropical conservatories. Additionally, three major works will be on view outdoors. The massive Iron Dome, composed of 46 elements, will be on display in the Sculpture Park not far from the permanent installation of Nash's iconic King and Queen.

Meijer Gardens has also commissioned Nash for a unique, site-specific planting involving dozens of young larch trees on the open hillside in The Richard and Helen DeVos Japanese Garden. Although the garden will not open until June 2015, visitors will be able to view Nash's planting site from the pathways. Additionally, Meijer Gardens commissioned a full documentary video on Nash and his planting which will be available in the auditorium.

This exhibition is organized by Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park in cooperation with the artist, the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew; Galerie Scheffel, Bad Homburg, Germany; and Haines Gallery, San Francisco.

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Images available here: http://www.meijergardens.org/storage/docs/IMAGES_Nash.pdf

About David Nash

One of the pre-eminent figures in British art today and a leading force in Contemporary sculpture, David Nash is based in Blaenau Ffestiniog, Wales, but works across the globe. Born in 1945, he attended Kingston College of Art and the Chelsea School of Art. His critical reputation was established by the early 1980s and his works are found in many of the most prestigious public and private collections across the globe. Although there is much diversity within his celebrated repertoire, his use of trees, in both carving and planting, has remained constant. He was elected a member of the Royal Academy in 1994 and awarded the Order of the British Empire by Queen Elizabeth II in 2004. In 2012-2013, he served as the first artist in residence at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

About Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park

One of the world's most significant botanic and sculpture experiences, Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park serves nearly 600,000 visitors annually. Meijer Gardens was recently ranked in the top 100 most-visited art museums worldwide by Art Newspaper, the leading publication in global art news. The 200-acre grounds feature Michigan's largest tropical conservatory; one of the largest children's gardens in the country; arid and Victorian gardens with bronze sculptures by Degas and Rodin; a carnivorous plant house; outdoor gardens; and a 1900-seat outdoor amphitheater, featuring an eclectic mix of world-renowned musicians every summer. The internationally acclaimed Sculpture Park features a permanent collection including works by Rodin, Oldenburg, Moore, Serra, Bourgeois and Plensa, among others. Indoor galleries host changing sculpture exhibitions with recent exhibitions by Picasso, Degas, di Suvero, Borofsky, Calder and Dine. In June 2015, the 8 - acre Richard and Helen DeVos Japanese Garden at Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park will open. Created by renowned designer Hoichi Kurisu, the garden will also feature sculpture by Anish Kapoor, Zhang Huan, and Guiseppe Penone, among others.