Pairing sculpture with the outdoors is as natural as pairing earth and water, fire and air, or the moon and the stars. And experiencing this delightful adventure at Linda Hoffman and Blase Provitola’s Old Frog Pond Farm in Harvard is a fine example.
Now in its 18th year, the farm offers a self-guided tour by the pond and through the woods: exploration through a diverse display of material, subject matter and placement. The works themselves, ranging from a size that would fit in the palm of your hand, to one that explodes in shafts of color that would fill a large room, to an angular sculptural bell the size of playground swings, engage our senses and sensibilities. The quiet of the pond and woods, interrupted by an occasional plop as a frog hops in the water, helps us to slow down and really take in the scene.
As we walked along the trail, there were sometimes poems paired with the sculpture, sometimes short explanations of what the project represented, as was the case with the plastic hubcaps decorated by sixth grade students from Norbank Avenue School who used up-cycled polyester rope to weave between the spokes of the hubcaps collected from roadsides as an alternative to sending those materials to the landfill. Some displays are quiet, contemplative groups of bronze figures, others are colorful, whimsical, like the three fish over the dam that greet visitors immediately upon beginning the tour.
Taken together, these works remind us that creativity and talent exceed our own imagination. We can be transported to places and emotions as we round the bend of trees or approach the water’s edge. A small snake or frog may enjoy the sights along with us, oblivious to the way it enhances the scene. The sculptures themselves seem to revel en plein air, touching earth and sky, and stretching upward, or blending into the curve of the earth.
Treat yourself to this exhibit just beyond the Boxborough line until October 14 and you will thank yourself for the gift of time, quiet and connection to other worlds close to home.
The exhibit is open from Sept 4-October 14. Admission is $10, $8 for seniors and $5 for children. For group tours contact fruit@oldfrogpondfarm.com.
Meg Stafford is an award winning author of two memoirs, speaker, storyteller and columnist. Her forty years as a licensed psychotherapist have provided invaluable insight into the quirks and passions of the human experience.