Art in Nature: Blithwold Mansion and Arboretum

A mile from my home is a wonderful arboretum, Blithewold. On 33 acres along the Narragansett Bay, the grounds of the estate has various flower gardens, but primarily holds a remarkable collection of trees that is a boon to the environment.  The property features a 45-room mansion with glorious views out to the water. It’s one of my favorite places to wander, reflect, and write. 

Currently there are two nature-related exhibits that are wonderfully evocative. One, “the enchanting world of artist Ellen Blomgren” (a former ceramist instructor at RISD) is a collection of small statues of small children and creatures that are nestled here and there on the grounds in a kind of treasure hunt. 

The other exhibit, at the opposite side of the size scale, is “the Myth Makers” by artists Donna Doson and Andy Moerlein, who draw their inspiration from a love of the wild, in particular the nature of birds. These sculptures are gigantic birds created from bamboo and other natural materials. Below is a peahen, which is similar in coloring to a peacock.

And here is “Queenfisher,” so named because unlike with most birds, the female Belted Kingfisher is more colorful than the male, with a rust-red band through her middle.

Kingfishers are iconic water birds that feed on fish, insects, and frogs and are abundant in the streams and ponds around Mount Hope Bay.

These exhibits make me smile, and as I sit inside the giant owl looking out, they prompt reflections on the connections among humans, animals and the natural world.