Photo by Frank Miller
Pomp and Circumstance by Patrick Dougherty. Install at Oregon State University
Photo by Briana Brough Chapel Hill Magazine
Patrick Dougherty
Annapolis, MD – Maryland Hall in Annapolis, Maryland, is greatly anticipating the arrival of renowned environmental artist Patrick Dougherty to create a Stickwork sculptural installation on their campus this May. For over 35 years, the public has been mesmerized by Dougherty’s whimsical sculptural creations in botanical gardens, museum grounds, universities, and other settings around the world. He has honed his craft at bending and weaving natural materials into over 300 monumental interactive sculptures for an unforgettable experience.
Starting May 3, 2021, the front lawn of Maryland Hall – adjacent to the Nature Sacred meditative labyrinth – will be transformed over a three week period serving as the setting for Dougherty’s Stickwork sculpture. His vision will be executed through a team of community volunteers helping to create what will be an installation evoking Maryland Hall’s historic surroundings and creative sensibility. The monumental scale sculpture will envelope visitors as they wander through the installation.
Patrick Dougherty says, “I am looking forward to working at Maryland Hall. The space we have chosen has a majestic oak and since I am a certified tree lover, I look forward to building there under the auspices of such a worthy companion. This site has great potential for creating a great sculpture."
Dougherty’s sculptures have been described as dynamic works that walk a fine line between architecture, landscape, and art. Each installation is an act of discovery for the sculptor, where he challenges himself to create and build a whimsical and elegant structure made entirely of woven and wrapped branches within a limited timeframe.
The sculpture has been a community affair. Volunteers will include the members of The Green Give, a coalition of area environmental groups. And Maryland Hall’s Outreach team has worked with its campus neighbors, Wiley H. Bates Middle School’s Arts Integration teachers, to engage their students in the project through monthly “ArtReach Challenges” inspired by Dougherty’s work. Beginning this week, the middle schoolers are invited to participate in Saturday arts workshops leading up to the installation.
The saplings for the sculpture are being harvested by volunteers from private farm properties on Maryland’s Eastern Shore including Poplar Grove, a 400 year old former plantation. The property is still in the hands of a family whose ancestors were granted the site by Lord Baltimore in 1669. Its history has been well documented via the Poplar Grove Project begun in 2008 when Washington College Professor and Director of the Starr Center for the Study of the American Experience Adam Goodheart and his students discovered a trove of papers there dating back to the 17th century.
Because the saplings are cut, not dug up, they will in fact regrow. Environmental sensitivity is a main consideration and there is no long term impact. The sculpture is expected to stand on the campus for 1-3 years.
From May 6-14 and May 17-21 from 8 am - 5 pm, the public is invited to visit Maryland Hall to observe as the sculpture takes form and progresses daily.
To learn more about volunteer opportunities, email rkelbaugh@marylandhall.org or visit marylandhall.org/stickwork. Volunteers are needed to gather saplings on the Eastern Shore and during installation at Maryland Hall.
