Living with Sculpture – Jan/Feb 2000

I am so glad I was able to take the time to go see a beautifully crafted sculpture show. After following a wandering suburban road around and around, my partner, Mike, and I came upon a long driveway with a striking piece of sculpture by Mark Heisel at its entrance. “This must be the place!” Mike said. Sure enough all along the walk were more sculptures. At the entry way to this beautiful home was a very large fountain of granite by Rich Hestekind. Then we followed a walkway to a lower level garden and found more sculpture. One titled “Twisted Stele” by Kirk McLean was great! Inside the house were numerous nooks and spaces that seemed to be especially made to display fine art.

Since 1995, several sculptors from NWSSA have participated in the Open House and Sculpture Exhibit sponsored and curated by Nancy Jordan, also one of our members. In the past, the show was held at her home and sculpture garden in Ballard (which she calls The Haheim Gardens, named for her parents). For a change of pace, this year the exhibit was held at the home of Dru Jordan, Nancy’s nephew, and his partner Steve Galfano. Their home in Newcastle is a showcase for their interior design business, Galdan Design. The three sponsors and the artists hosted an outstanding sculpture event, which was called “Living with Sculpture.” This alternative venue, away from a formal gallery setting, offered a larger space and an opportunity to show a broad range of sizes of sculpture. The whole display of over 50 pieces looked as if it were part of an actual art collection and demonstrated how beautifully people can integrate three-dimensional art into their homes. Well-crafted pedestals, effective lighting, complementary paintings, thoughtful placement indoors and out—you can imagine the work that this team of artists and presenters put forth. It was an event that truly honored sculpture. Twenty sculptors exhibited this year. They were stone sculptors Sudha Achar, Reg Akright, Jim Ballard, Irene Hewins Bourgois, Meredith Earls, Vasily Fedorouk, Devin Laurence Field, Ron Geitgey, Linda Heisel, Mark Heisel, Rich Hestekind, Kirk McLean, Thomas Miller, Sondra Nice, Tone Orvik, Robert Roark, Steve Sandry, Verena Schwippert, Boris Spivak, and wood carver Lee Imonen.

Eight sculptures have sold so far: two of Steve’s, “Shard” and Emergence”; two of Rich’s, “ICON” and “Fountain”; one of Kirk’s, “Twisted Stele”; one of Linda’s, “Earth”; one of Meredith’s, “Earthly Aspiration”; and one of Reg’s, “Fun with Undulation #2″. It is expected that more will be purchased as clients of Galdan Design and The Haheim Gardens visit both sites in the next few months.

The show ran for one weekend. I am so glad I did not miss this show. If Nancy plans one for the year 2000, I plan to be there!