Sculpture

Figurative SculptureThe collection of American figurative sculpture at Brookgreen Gardens is of extraordinary consequence.  Brookgreen is committed to the growth and development of that collection, and expects to continue acquiring the work of both contemporary and historical sculptors deemed appropriate.  Brookgreen is also committed to continuing to build a program that uses and fosters an active appreciation of the sculpture collection as a living asset of value to a national audience.  This program is called the Center for American Sculpture. 

 

Brookgreen Gardens, the first public sculpture garden in America, has in its collection more than 1,200 works by 350 sculptors.  The arts patron and scholar, Archer Milton Huntington (1870-1955), and his wife, renowned sculptor Anna Hyatt Huntington (1876-1973), founded Brookgreen in 1931.  Designed around the walkways laid out by Mrs. Huntington, the gardens have long been regarded as one of the nation’s most beautiful botanical displays.  Exhibited within them is the largest and most comprehensive collection of American figurative sculpture in the country, by sculptors who worked from the early nineteenth century to the present.  Brookgreen Gardens is a National Historical Landmark, and is accredited by the American Association of Museums.

 

With the establishment of the Center for American Sculpture in 2002, and renovation of the Carroll A. Campbell, Jr. Center for American Sculpture in 2004, Brookgreen now has the program and the facility to extend its educational reach to a broader national audience.  We offer workshops in sculpture and drawing under the tutelage of nationally known sculptors throughout the year. Students have been attracted by the caliber of the teachers and by the opportunity to work within the Brookgreen environment. 

 

Since 1999, Sculptors in Residence have been invited to Brookgreen Gardens.  This position was created to further cement the organization’s relationship with working sculptors.  It gives the sculptor an opportunity to work on the property, with all the inspiration that can provide.  It also gives staff, members, and the visiting public a chance to interact with a working artist.  Sculptors in Residence demonstrate the sculpture process to the visiting public, work on pieces they have in process, give lectures on their work, and teach workshops on a variety of subjects.