SIGHTSEERS
Winter Wonderland of Art and Nature
by Randy Karr

The Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park, which is located on the eastern edge of Grand Rapids, Michigan, is Michigan’s fastest growing tourist attraction.

Meijer Gardens has the most comprehensive permanent collection of modern sculpture in the Midwest and outdoor gardens that feature four-season plantings, all of which can be enjoyed year around. Its Sculpture Park contains one of the finest modern and contemporary sculptures collections in the world.

Meijer Gardens takes a back seat to no one. Covering 125 acres of woodlands and wetlands, the park creatively combines art and nature by placing world-renowned sculptures in natural settings connected by waterways, meandering paths and quiet walkways.

There is a special element of discovery that permeates Meijer Gardens in the winter. In snowy solitude, visitors view scores of sculpture by such internationally known artists as Auguste Rodin, Henry Moore, Andy Goldsworthy and Mark di Suvero.

Unfettered by foliage and crowds, the sculpture gardens are quiet and peaceful. The bright colors of summer are gone, having been replaced by the muted grays and browns of winter. The sculptures, in their winter white setting, beckon winter visitors and invite meditative thoughts.

The park’s signature sculpture is the three-stories-tall Leonardo da Vinci horse. Five hundred years ago, da Vinci was commissioned to create a bronze horse that would be the world’s largest equine sculpture. Well before he painted the Mona Lisa, he sketched a towering, pacing horse, but never created the sculpture.

Inspired and guided by these sketches, Nina Akamu, a renowned contemporary American sculptor with extensive training in Renaissance art and traditional sculpture techniques, completed two 24-feet tall Leonardo da Vinci horse sculptures.

The first horse was sent to Milan, Italy, the planned site of da Vinci's original horse. The second horse was placed in Meijer Gardens. Called The American Horse, it is the only colossal horse sculpture in the Western Hemisphere.

A second outdoor highlight of Meijer Gardens is the Children’s Garden, one of the largest and most interactive children's gardens in the country. The garden presents art and sculpture within a five-acre area that focuses around various Michigan themes - plants, animals, geography, geology, birds, insects, prehistoric fossils and the Great Lakes.

This outdoor environment engages both young and old alike, as they discover things about the state of Michigan. Among its other themed areas are the Great Lakes Water Garden with interactive water features that includes pools, fountains, rapids and waterfalls, and a wooded wetland that is the only preserved wetland in any children's garden in the world.

While viewing gardens and plantings is somewhat limited during winter months, there are opportunities to satisfy keen botanic interests in an indoor environment at Meijer Gardens. Visitors can stroll through Michigan’s largest tropical conservatory or visit the nation’s most comprehensive carnivorous plant house. Other garden areas that enrich winter visits are the Victorian Garden, Arid Garden and Seasonal Display Greenhouse.

Discover the winter beauty and magnificence of The Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park, located at 1000 East Beltline Avenue, Grand Rapids, MI 49525. Every Tuesday evening from mid January through February 26, 2008, Meijer Gardens presents a Winter Concert Series in the Grand Ballroom. Attending concerts is the best way to beat the winter blahs. Party in the Grand Ballroom and enjoy an evening of music, food and fun.

For information on Meijer Gardens, go to www.meijergardens.org.

© 2008 Randy Karr