Big Rock Garden Park opens season with sculpture show

Big Rock Garden Park’s mixture of nature and art makes it a regionally unique venue for its annual sculpture exhibition.

The Big Rock Garden Advisory Committee put on its annual Invitational Sculpture Exhibition on Sunday at Big Rock Garden Park, welcoming the highest turnout the event has seen. With over 300 people attending the committee was pleased with the turn out said Becky Hutchins, member of the Big Rock Garden Advisory Committee and chair of the event.

“This year, the show was done differently than in the past,” said Hutchins, “usually it is a juried show, this year because of diminished budgets we made it an invitational, we wanted to focus on the permanent program.”

In a juried show, a committee (separate from the Big Rock Garden Advisory Committee) receives and reviews applications and art and decides what sculptures will go in the show. This year, the committee decided to ask five artists who have permanent work in the park to return with a new piece.

“The objective is to show how their work has evolved,” said Mary Ann Crawford, member of the Big Rock Garden Advisory Committee. The show, which runs from May until September, currently has 36 permanent pieces as well as the 5 temporary ones that are for sale.

“We’re thrilled they asked us [the artists] to bring something back,” said Tracy Powell, an artist - with art currently permanently located in the park as well as featured in the show - who has been coming to the park since it was still just a sculpture garden, “we love it here,” he said.

“The exhibition sparks discussion about art which is important,” said Hutchins “it creates an event that draws people to the park, specifically to the art.”

Big Rock Garden Park is “a gem of a place,” said Hutchins

The park itself is a naturally beautiful venue that is combined with the arts, making it regionally a very unique and natural space, said Hutchins. In 1993, the land was bought by the city from the Drake family, who had previously used it as a sculpture garden. Since then the 8-acre land plot has been used as a venue for various concerts and art exhibitions.

“The city bought the park because they believed it could potentially be a unique resource for the public,” said Hutchins “what’s important is identifying how unique this space is, usually places like this are much more formal, [Big Rock Garden] is open to the public and user-friendly, it makes art more accessible to everyone.”

Looking into the future of the park

The committee - which is entirely volunteer coordinated - is looking forward to taking the next step in improving the park, the approximately 5.5 acres of land that is undeveloped will most likely remain that way. “The master plan is to increase accessibility to the park,” said Hutchins.

The committee is a non-profit, and although it is supported by the City Parks and Recreation department, budget cuts have taken their toll. “The committee really stepped up this year [to put on this event],” said Rae Edwards, who works with the Bellingham Parks Volunteer Program.

“The next step is to get more public support,” said Hutchins, looking ahead the committee hopes to replace old timbers with rock walls, groom and develop existing landscape and develop the southwest corner of the park.

“This park is a great resource,” said Anne Theiler, resident of South Bellingham, “in addition to the Western Washington University outdoor sculpture park, this could really help Bellingham set its mark.”