A Peaceful Stroll Through Convergence 2013

"Arabesque" by Eric Sealine                                      All Photos  ©Lynn Schweikart

Since early May, Boston's Christian Science Center Plaza has been the setting for Convergence 2013,  Boston's first outdoor exhibition of monumental, site-specific sculpture, co-sponsored by the Boston Sculptors Gallery (BSG) and The First Church of Christ, Scientist. The exhibit gets its name from the convergence of imagination and civic pride that inspired the more two dozen pieces created by BSG members. 

"Byzantium Gates" by Murray Dewart  

The Christian Science Center Plaza, with its gardens, fountain, and 670' long reflecting pool, has long been one of my go-to places to spend a few tranquil moments. It's also the perfect setting to pause and reflect on the remarkable artwork displayed here.  Some pieces peek out from between colonnades; others are playfully arranged near the fountain. Some exert a commanding presence; others must be searched for, like Easter eggs hidden in the landscape. 

"Poised" by Donna Dodson and Andy Moerlein

"Poised", one of my favorite pieces, is a stunning 20-foot-high great blue heron, made of saplings  and wire by artists Donna Dodson and Andy Moerlein. The day I was there, a variety of bird song burbled from deep inside the piece. "How clever!" I thought. Then I saw that songster was in fact a real live bird--a mockingbird--that was perched on one of the saplings that make up the heron's head.

If you're looking for a great opportunity to learn more about Convergence 2013, sculptors Eric Sealine and Michelle Lougee will host "Poetic Gestures and Material Surprises", a guided tour of the installations on Saturday, October 5th at 11 a.m. They will also give a talk about how the challenges of adapting their materials and practices to the scale of the plaza.   

The tour is free and open to the public. Just meet at the entrance to The Mary Baker Eddy Library, 200 Massachusetts Avenue in the Back Bay. Convergence 2013 will be on view through October 31.