Located all across the trails of the Big Bear Mountain in Brookline, New Hampshire, the Andres Institute of Art sculpture park is an imaginative combination of art and nature that has captivated audiences from all over the region. The art and experiences that have been enabled on the mountains trials and all along the sculpture park showcase what’s possible when stakeholders take an imaginative approach to connecting audiences and artists with the natural wonders that surround them.
New England’s Largest Outdoor Sculpture Park
Paul Andres and master sculptor John Weidman co-founded the art institute at what was an old ski hill in 1998. This was after Andres purchased Big Bear Mountain in 1996 and moved into the house near the top of the mountain. Based on his lifelong love of nature and passion for art, he decided to purchase sculptures to place in the natural setting surrounding his new home. This effort was the origin of what would become the Andres Institute of Art sculpture park.
The Institute is involved in many activities related to art, including the annual International Bridges and Connections sculpture symposium. Artists are paid a small stipend for their attendance, but the real reward is that they are allowed to create whatever sculpture they like and to place it wherever they want on the mountain. This endeavors has resulted in the placement of numerous pieces of original works of art along walking trails all over the mountain in the 140 acre sculpture park.
Artists are invited to visit Brookline for two weeks to create sculptures for permanent display at the institute. Sculptors from Lithuania, Latvia, England, Czech Republic, Ukraine, Egypt, Greece, Chile, and numerous American states have attended the event. Artists such as Ana Maria Negara, Isidore Batu Siharulidze, Kevin Duffy, Alak Roy, Ennica Mukomberanwa, Bernie Carreno, Klaus Hunsicker and many more have their work displayed in the park. The pieces range in size and scope, varying in medium, format and focus.
Commonly cited as New England’s largest outdoor sculpture park as well as a hidden gem of the region, visitors can experience the art and nature that comprise the sculpture park amidst numerous hiking trails, all of which are just part of the reason the space has been able to cultivate interest from residents and visitors alike.
Hikes, Icons and More
The sculptures are situated in a variety of garden and forested areas over multiple hiking trails on the Big Bear Mountain hillside. This has allowed it to attract hikers and audiences from all over the world, with popular hikes including the Meadows Trail, Summit Loop Trail, Quarry Trail and Headwall Trail, although many more are located all across the site. Described as rugged hiking with interesting art, visitors can engage with the space in whatever way the wish. Hiking on these trails has been described as walking into a hundred different snippets of conversation.
The Andres Institute of Art’s sculpture park has also been able to cultivate the creation of artworks that can serve as icons for the region and state, which includes the “Old Man in the Mountains New Home” piece that was inspired by the collapse of the Old Man of the Mountain. Other sculptures could be utilized to create brand new icons for the region and state.
There are several ways to support Andres Institute of Art, the most obvious being the donation boxes that are located at various places across the sculpture park. Supporters can also designate Andres Institute of Art as a charitable organization to make one-off or recurring donations.
Mentioned as a conversation starter for residents and visitors alike, the Andres Institute of Art sculpture park was created as a place where people could experience art and nature. This imaginative approach has impacted the Andres Institute of Art in a profound way, but that influence extends to the wider region as well.
Art and Nature in Tandem
Countless sculpture parks are located all over the globe while nearly every city in the world has a trail network of some kind, but few are as connected as the Andres Institute of Art sculpture park. The whole space incorporates art and community into the natural world in a distinct and formidable manner.
What would otherwise be disparate hiking trails and an independent art institute have instead been imagined as a space where art and nature can be experienced in tandem. This combination has created engagement with and cultivated interest from audiences of all eras in a profound manner.
