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Date: 8/16/2021
EASTHAMPTON – The sixth biennial Art in the Orchard event is once again taking place at Park Hill Orchard. The event began on Aug. 16 and will continue to Nov. 28.
Thirty local and regional artists out of almost 100 applicants were selected to have their sculptures and installations displayed at the orchard during that time span. According to Russell Braen, one of the owners of Park Hill, the sculpture trail is self-guided and stretches about a half mile long. The exhibition begins and ends with the orchard’s harvest season.
A jury composed of five local personalities selected the 30 artists that would participate in this year’s exhibition. According to Braen, the artists are mainly local, but there is one artist from the Hudson Valley, another one from Brooklyn, another one from Chappaquiddick, and a couple others from other areas in New England.
The jury consisted of multi-disciplinary artist Pamela Matsuda-Dunn, woodworker and furniture designer Silas Kopf, singer/songwriter, poet and filmmaker Diana Alvarez, artist and educator Maggie Nowinski, and Jean-Pierre Pasche, the co-founder of Art in the Orchard.
According to the Park Hill Orchard website, the art this year will feature several tall sculptures, several arches or portals, as well as installations representing or incorporating floral elements.
“We try to make it is a local as possible,” said Braen, regarding the event. “It’s a nice thing to have for the valley.”
Despite the event’s local ties, Braen said that Art in the Orchard is more about bringing people together miles beyond the Easthampton border. Like in past years, Braen said that he expects almost 30,000 people to attend the event across the entire three-plus months. He believes that the art itself could strike a connection for both parents and children and bring families and friends together from other states.
“[The showcase] is really good for parents and children so they can exercise,” said Braen. According to the owner, due to the intricacy of the exhibit, guests may take as long as three hours to cover the entire ground.
Visitors are encouraged to participate in pick-your-own fruit gardens at the orchard while walking through the exhibit, or purchase fruit and treats at their farm stand. People can donate to Art in the Orchard at the trailhead when they arrive, but donating is voluntary, as walking through the orchard is free. There is a suggestion of a $5 donation per person and a $20 donation per group.
For now, the orchard plans on continuing the exhibition with the hope that people will spread themselves out to prevent any type of COVID-19 transmissions. According to Braen, because there is such a wide-open space that stretches all around the orchard, there should be very little problems.
“The art spreads people out,” said Braen. “We’re just going to roll with it until the recommendations change.”
Braen and the orchard ask that visitors wear shoes and clothing appropriate for walking around farm fields and trails. Well-behaved dogs on leashes are allowed on the sculpture trail, but they will not be allowed in the pick-your-own fruit areas. There will be no charge for parking, and people will be given a map when they arrive, if they want one. Pasche also recommends that people wear masks in and around the farm stand until further guidance is provided.
Additional events throughout the months, including music, moonlight walks, dance, and theater will be available to the public. The sculpture exhibit will be open every day from dawn until dusk. According to Braen, an artist reception may occur at points throughout the exhibit to allow artists to sit with their pieces and talk to visitors about the inspiration behind them.
Some art will stay at the orchard until 2022 for the possibility of being sold.
Art in the Orchard began in 2011 by Pasche with the goal of recreating an outdoor sculpture exhibit like the one set in the meadows near his hometown in Switzerland. The exhibit’s widespread support from the community lead to recognition by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, who awarded the exhibit with one of its three Gold Star Awards as an exemplary community arts event.
“The board of Art in the Orchard feels very lucky to be able to go ahead with the 6th Biennial Sculpture exhibit at Park Hill Orchard,” said Pasche. “We feel like this event, taking place outdoors, on dozens of acres of land and over three and a half months, is a welcoming, entertaining, and safe destination for people of all ages, after so many months of isolation.”