2008 Exhibitions in the Rainey Sculpture Pavilion Galleries

 

March 22 - June 15

Bronze Sculptures

Good Things Come in Small Packages: Medallic and Relief Sculpture Exhibit

Relief is a type of sculpture in which form projects from a background.  There are three types of relief: high, low, and sunken.  In high relief, the forms stand out from the background.  In low relief, known as bas-relief, they are shallow.  In sunken relief, also called hollow or intaglio, the backgrounds are not cut back and the points in highest relief are level with the original surface of the material being carved. The art of bas-relief is one of the oldest forms of sculpture, having been used for thousands of years.  The most easily accessible examples of bas-relief today are the coins in your pocket.   Bas-relief is used in the design of medals to be worn, such as those for military valor and other commemorative purposes.  It also is found in the collectible realm including art medals – both cast and struck – which are sculptures designed to be held in the hand. This exhibit presents a wide variety of beautiful and interesting medallic art and other examples of bas-relief, proving that good things really do come in small packages.

The Bronze Zoo: Anna Hyatt Huntington and Exotic Animals Exhibit

A major animal sculptor of the Twentieth Century, Anna Hyatt Huntington (1876-1973) created a wide range of works featuring exotic animals.  Some of her earliest sculptures were modeled from animals in traveling shows and circuses that passed through the Boston area. In 1904, after she moved to New York City, her models were residents of the Bronx Zoo, a common source of animal imagery for artists in the early 1900s. Although her artistic career began when she helped her sister with a sculpture of their brother and the family pet, she developed an early interest in wild animals, following the example of work by the French animalier, Antoine-Louis Barye (c.1795-1875).  This interest had its roots in her childhood, as her father, Alpheus Hyatt, was a renowned paleontologist and marine biologist connected with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard University. Known for showing animals in action, Anna Hyatt Huntington depicted hundreds of exotic animals in sculpture, such as elephants, lions, zebras, monkeys, and macaws.  This exhibit presents a selection of her work from 1906 through 1964. This exhibit is made possible by a generous gift from The Friends of Brookgreen Gardens.

June 28 - August 24

National Sculpture Society 75th Annual Awards Exhibition

This summer, Brookgreen is proud to display the National Sculpture Society’s 75th Annual Awards Exhibition from June 28 through August 24. There will be 56 works in the exhibit with a range of material from bronze and stainless steel to marble, wood and cast glass. This year, the Gold Medal went to Stephen Layne for his work, Iron Child. Brookgreen will again hold its People’s Choice Awards when those who visit the exhibit will have the opportunity to vote for their favorite work of art. The People’s Choice winners will be announced on August 23. A catalog of the exhibit will be available for sale in Keepsakes. The exhibit is free with regular admission to the gardens.

The 2008 Brookgreen Gardens People’s Choice Award was won by The Diver, a sculpture by Stephen H. Smith of Marshville, NC.  He attended the reception Saturday evening and accepted his award. 

September 6 - November 2
Flights of Fantasy: The Artistic Bird and Hoof Beats and Heroes: The Horse in Art
Both exhibits are in conjunction with the SC Watermedia Society's 31st Annual Exhibition and will feature paintings and sculpture.