Arboretum to host public opening of 'Sculptures in Steel' exhibition

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — The Arboretum at Penn State invites the campus and community to the public opening of its first-ever seasonal art display — "Sculptures in Steel," a solo exhibition by Robert Anderson — on Saturday, June 4.

Anderson, creator of the popular garden kaleidoscope in the Arboretum's Childhood's Gate Children's Garden, will display a collection of his larger works in five locations throughout the H.O. Smith Botanic Gardens.

By turns monumental and playful, Anderson's inflated steel sculptures draw inspiration from the Japanese art of origami. Based in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, Anderson began his professional career as an artist in 1994.

Notable works in the Sculptures in Steel display include a set of three blue armchairs on view in the Poplar Court and a flotilla of giant orange seed pods in the Lotus Pool.

To mark the exhibition's opening, the Arboretum will offer guided tours of the gardens beginning at 11 a.m., 12:30 p.m. and 2 p.m. From 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the children's garden, visitors are invited to participate in hands-on activities, including origami-making and magnetic sculpture-building. Admission and activities are free of charge, and tour reservations are not required.

"Sculptures in Steel" will be on exhibit at the Arboretum from June 4 through Oct. 23. The Arboretum's H.O. Smith Botanic Gardens are located at the corner of Bigler Road and Park Avenue on the University Park campus.

To learn more, visit the Arboretum's website or its Facebook page.