feature article - august 2010

Lynden Sculpture Garden offers art amid nature

THE LYNDEN SCULPTURE GARDEN, 2145W. Brown Deer Rd, offers a family-friendly art experience just north of downtown in River Hills.

Formerly the Bradley Sculpture Garden, the 40-acre grounds were previously open to the public on very limited occasions. The sculpture garden offers a unique experience of art in nature through a collection of more than 50 monumental sculptures sited across park, lake and woodland.

Since opening this spring, the sculpture garden is open to art and nature lovers of all ages onWednesdays from 10 a.m. to dusk and Sundays from noon to 5 p.m. Apicnic area and bike racks help make this a destination for fun family outings as well as an eye-opening artistic experience.

Day membership is $9 for adults and $7 reduced (students, seniors, active military and children aged 6-17). Annual memberships also are available. Children under 6 are admitted free with an adult. Docent-led tours of the sculpture collection are conducted Sundays at 2:30 pm. Fee for the tour is $12 for adults and $8 reduced. This fee includes day membership in the Lynden Sculpture Garden. Reservations for Sunday tours are available through tours@lyndensculpturegarden.org or 414- 446-8481.

The sculpture garden is owned and operated by the Bradley Family Foundation. The Lynden house and grounds were purchased in 1927 by industrialist Harry Bradley of the Allen- Bradley Company and his wife, Peg Bradley. The Bradleys retained the Chicago landscape architectsWilliam Langford and Theodore Moreau to transform the flat farmland, with its small farmhouse and barn, into an English country garden.

Further plans to construct a botanical garden on the site were derailed by the outbreak ofWorldWar II. From 1962-1978, Peg Bradley—already an experienced art collector—began collecting the contemporary monumental sculptures that secured Lynden’s international reputation. The collection includes sculptures by Alexander Archipenko, Henry Moore, Barbara Hepworth, Clement Meadmore, Marta Pan, Tony Smith, Mark di Suvero and many others.

The house has been transformed using sustainable building practices. The newly created public spaces include a conference room, a large classroom/studio, a gallery and a glassedin function space overlooking the large patio. The renovated residence is available as a conference and retreat center, and for event rentals.

Inside/Outside: Linda Wervey Vitamvas & Kevin Giese, the first in a series of exhibitions featuring the work of local artists, continues through Aug. 11. Inside/Outside exhibitions will alternate with exhibitions drawn from Lynden’s extensive collection of paintings and works on paper.

For information: lyndensculpturegarden.org or 414-446-8794.