NY Botanical Garden Presents: Moore in America +Slideshow

Henry Moore, Hill Arches (1972-73) is 8,800 pounds 18' in length and 12' high. It is now on display at the NYBG
I've never known the New York Botanical Garden to be a real hotspot for attracting crowds on a typical Memorial Day weekend.  However, with escalating gas prices, families seemed to have stayed close to home.  The NYBG became a daytrip destination extraordinaire, as admissions lines were long, parking lots reached maximum capacity, and people picnicked throughout the grounds.  Cloudless, sparkling blue skies, and blazing sunshine created the perfect backdrop for spending time outside with thousands of other NYBG admirers.

The "Moore in America" exhibition also opened on May 24 at the NYBG.  As part of the members’ preview weekend, I took in some (not all) of the show, courtesy of a guided tour given by a New York-based sculptor named Adrienne.  She led a group of us through five, of the collections 20 major pieces from England, now on display.  These magnificent works were positioned throughout the Garden's 250 acres and among its 50 gardens and plant collections and will remain on view through January 2009.

Henry Moore (1898-1986) was a renowned English artist and sculptor from England, known for his large-scale abstract creations set among natural landscapes.  From the New York Botanical Garden:

Henry Moore intended that his monumental works of sculpture be presented in expansive landscapes so that their mass and size could be seen from many angles, in great variety of light, and in differing seasons. He wanted people to get up close and touch them. The New York Botanical Garden fits his intent perfectly, offering sweeping, undulating terrain, diverse plant collections, and captivating gardens with the appropriate scale and beauty to complement his sculpture.