Rebecca Rutstein and Dina Wind to be featured in The Bower, Native Garden and Sculpture Park
Immediate Release, June 2020
Bridgette Mayer Gallery
t: 215-413-8893 f: 215-413-2283
e: bmayer@bmayerart.com
Gallery Artists Rebecca Rutstein & Dina Wind (1938-2014) to have major sculpture works commissioned and purchased by the owners of The Bower, a Native Garden and Sculpture Park opening in Central Pennsylvania in the Spring of 2021
Philadelphia, PA – Bridgette Mayer Gallery is pleased to announce that two gallery artists, Philadelphia artist Rebecca Rutstein and Philadelphia Artist Dina Wind (1938-2014) will have prominent commissioned and purchased sculpture permanently on view at “The Bower”, a Native Garden and Sculpture Park opening in Central Pennsylvania in the Spring of 2021.
Perry County, Pennsylvania is renowned for its peaceful, natural beauty. One couple from the Sherman’s Dale area plans to share their thirty-six acre piece of Perry County in a unique way with the rest of the world. Bill and Jane Allis are creating The Bower, a 36 acre “garden” of meadows and woodland trails demonstrating the beauty of native plants enhanced with commissioned sculptures throughout.
The Allis’s engaged the help of Bridgette Mayer, a gallerist and art consultant from Philadelphia and Orlando to assist with procuring sculptures. A Call to Art brought one hundred and thirty sculptor proposals. The Allis’s narrowed it down to an initial phase of ten artists engaged in creating sculptures for the site. Most of the artists have already visited The Bower to get inspiration from the site and establish a relationship with the owners.
Summer will bring the installation of the selected sculptures. Rebecca Rutstein is creating a large-scale commissioned freestanding sculpture made of Cor-ten panels that will span 9 feet tall x 67 feet in length. The inspiration for her monumental, site-specific sculpture is the US EPA Eco Regions map of Pennsylvania. The Bower resides in the "Ridge & Valley" section, a diverse region stretching northeast and southwest along almost the entire length of the Appalachian Mountains. Rutstein’s sculpture will be situated in an inclined meadow surrounded by trails and wooded areas, with vantage points stretching from above and below. The expansive, cut out lines will be illuminated at night with solar powered lighting. Speaking about her work recently, the Allis’ shared: “We love the way Rebecca creates abstractions of the natural world in a way that is both stunning, but also intriguing. It leads the viewer to take notice and look closer at natural phenomenon.”
In addition to Rutstein’s commissioned piece, the Allis’s have purchased a sculpture from the Estate of sculptor Dina Wind, based in Israel and Philadelphia, who died in 2014. “Homage to Smith” is a 36”x25”x27” welded steel sculpture that features a square base and her signature style of composing abstract and figurative inspired works with scrap metal collected over her many years of making art. Jane Allis of The Bower notes that “Dina Wind was a pioneer for women metal sculptors. We love that she is a Pennsylvania artist and her work is created from recycled steel scrap. This piece has a tale to tell and will motivate visitors to dig deeper into learning about abstract metal sculptors.”
The Allis’s plan to open The Bower to the public on a limited basis starting in the spring of 2021. Though they will be living in residence in their family home there, they are committed to sharing the beauty of the natural setting, their interest in native species, and their love of art with the community. They hope to draw interested visitors from Perry County and nearby Central Pennsylvania communities as well as from Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington, D.C. and beyond. Visitors of all ages will be welcome to engage with the art and enjoy nature at its finest as they stroll the trails or simply sit on a bench and enjoy the views. To learn more about The Bower or plan a visit, browse their website at www.thegardenbower.com and follow @gardenbower on Instagram to watch the project unfold daily.
For additional images, artist and press information, please contact
Bridgette Mayer Gallery. t: 215-413-8893 e: bmayer@bmayerart.com
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