The combining of sculpture and gardens dates back centuries if not millennia, and there are few public gardens I know of that do not incorporate sculpture into their aesthetics and identity at some point. This week we are in conversation with an exemplary public garden, whose identity grows out of this pairing: the art of horticulture and the art of sculpture. The Frederik Meijer Gardens and Sculpture Park in Grand Rapids, Michigan is “proudly ranked as one of the top 45 most visited museums in the world” and their award winning gardens “showcase over 200 captivating sculptures,” inviting visitor to experience what they see as the “perfect blend of art and nature.”

We’re joined this week by Steve LaWarre, the Vice President of Horticulture at Frederick Meijer Gardens and Sculpture Park to share more.

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The Art of Gardens + Sculpture: Frederik Meijer Sculpture Gardens Grand Rapids, MI

As part of Big Blend Radio's GARDEN PARTY Celebrations, travel writer Debbie Stone talks about artist Kevin Box’s origami-like pieces that range from small works to larger forms, the latter of which can be found in the enchanting outdoor sculpture gardens in Santa Fe, Orlando, and Tulsa. Read Debbie's story and check out the images of the art, here: https://blendradioandtv.com/listing/origami-in-the-garden-is-a-feast-for-the-senses/ 

Big Blend Radio's "Global Adventures with Debbie Stone " Podcast airs every 4th Tuesday. Follow the podcast here: https://global-adventures-debbie-stone.podbean.com/

Origami in the Garden

Gardens are more than collections of plants. Gardens and Gardeners are intersectional spaces and agents for positive change in our world. Cultivating Place: Conversations on Natural History and the Human Impulse to Garden is a weekly public radio program & podcast exploring what we mean when we garden. Through thoughtful conversations with growers, gardeners, naturalists, scientists, artists and thinkers, Cultivating Place illustrates the many ways in which gardens are integral to our natural and cultural literacy. These conversations celebrate how these interconnections support the places we cultivate, how they nourish our bodies, and feed our spirits. They change the world. Take a listen.

Select Big Blend Radio interviews that are featured in the digital, interactive Big Blend Radio & TV Magazine and Parks & Travel Magazine. Hosted by Nancy J. Reid and Lisa D. Smith, mother-daughter travel team and publishers.

New tracks tagged #sculpture garden