Stone Quarry Hill Art Park
By Karen Hor
Experience art in nature
Stone Quarry Hill Art Park is quite the Casanova of Upstate New York. Welcome to the adventurous world of endless artistic imagination. Savage art pieces scattered to find a place, a territorial permanence. Each artwork owns its space. If you are looking for the sanctity of inspiration, you can find it at Cazenovia, New York.
The Art Park is one of the first outdoors sculpture parks in the U.S. Since June 2009, the Art Park has added works to its collection from artists including Deborah Redwood of Australia, Jane Orr of Maine, Margaret LaBounty of Iowa, Kathy Bruce of New York City, and Alastair Noble of New York City. Potters, painters, dancers and all kinds of artists frequented the Art Park to experience the gamut of creativity and inspiration. There’s an element of surprise when one walks through a forest and discovers breathtaking sculptures, paintings, and other mixed media works.
One piece worth mentioning is the commemorative glass installation by Denise Stillwaggon Leone in 2004, titled, “9/11 MEMORIAL.” The piece, pictured left, consists of six vertical glass plates imprinted with shadows of the dismantled towers, embedded spirals, and what seems like a blackened world in one angle is actually a ghostly image of a man’s face in another angle. The ever-haunting pain and tragedy of terrorism becomes omnipresent when one looks at the installation.
Every single one of the pieces in the park evokes a sense of emotion. There is no escape from exploration at the Art Park, which makes this the perfect trip to delve into life’s many complexities. The Art Park states that it serves a dual mission: “preservation of the land, and the creation and exhibition of works inspired by the relationship between art and nature.”
There are activities for both adults and children to enjoy such as pottery and painting. Many schools and colleges have visited the Art Park for exhibition tours, lecture demonstrations, workshops and classes. Past special events include the “Art in the Sky” kite festival, pottery fairs, and even concerts. Most recently, “Talons: Birds of Prey” was the feature event on October 2. Up in line for special events and exhibitions include an exhibition and silent auction, “Kites” at the John and Virginia Winner Memorial Art Gallery on October 30 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; “Kite Festival” on October 23 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Quarry Hill; and the annual “Artist in Residence” exhibition from November 21 to December 12 starting at 3:30 p.m. It is hard to describe how much inspiration these projects possess. You truly have to physically see them to understand it all. Art Park also hosts an indoor professional art gallery, open only from April to October (better get to it soon!) Artists in residence are encouraged to apply to be a part of this phenomenal community. The Stone Quarry Hill Art Park is located in Cazenovia, New York, off U.S. Route 20—about 25 miles outside of Syracuse (map). You can even see some artwork as you’re driving up. Suggested donation per car is $5.
For a full schedule of events visit their website.
Karen Hor is a regular contributor to Nearby Nooks, updated every Wednesday.