Philadelphia's Calder Gardens

Last September when NPR announced Philadelphia was opening Calder Gardens, a new museum on the Ben Franklin Parkway near the Philadelphia Art Museum, the Rodin Museum, the Barnes Foundation, and the Franklin Institute, I added a note to the jar of places I want to visit. The museum is in a great location for a museum since it is walking distance to the four museums many travels also visit. I just couldn't figure out exactly where it was located since the area is quite crowded.

Where there is a will there is a way. In a 1.8 acre spot that abuts both the  Ben Franklin Parkway and the Vine Street Expressway, a space was carved out to create this oasis. The 18,000 square foot museum designed by Herzog & de Meuron is surrounded by a garden designed by Dutch landscape architect Piet Oudolf featuring 250 varieties of plants, 40% of which are native to North America. As this is their first Spring, the staff is marveling as the gardens are constantly changing and exploding in color. They are thinking about adding garden tours to their list of options.

I have heard of Alexander Calder. I'm familiar with his large metal sculptures. Familiar enough I can often identify them when I see one, but not familiar enough to know his history. We decided to upgrade from the $18 entrance fee to the $30 ticket that included a one-hour tour.

Calder's artwork is often enormous, meaning there are not a lot on display at any given point. Pam, our guide, told us the museum will be in flux. Some pieces will be on display for a few weeks, others a few months, and still others for years. Nothing is considered permanent, no matter how large. Many of his works of art move, and on that hot day that meant they were rotating in the indoor winds created by the air conditioning. The large windows provide much sunlight making shadows change throughout the day. We were encouraged to use our senses to enjoy the works, and keep an open mind.

Though it was a warm day, we began the tour outside in the prairie meadow. This area is visible from the side walk and free to access. There are 37,000 perennials planted here, with 250 varieties of trees and shrubs. The building is nestled into the garden. Much of the gallery is subterranean. The designer is known for designing for the space, as opposed to having a signature style.

His 1924 self portrait
in on the left

Alexander Calder (1898-1976) is from Philadelphia. His family called him Sandy. His art was inspired by nature and the elements. Today his grandson, Alexander S. C. Rower is the chair of the curatorial committee. When we were there his great-grandson, Gryphon Rue, had a exhibit of his sound installation of a circle of experimental sound called Sound Passage. Sandy's parents painter Nanette Lederer Calder and sculpturer Alexander Sterling Calder, and his grandfather sculpturer Alexander Milne Calder, also have works on display in I'll call the ancestor's area, a temporary exhibit.

Sandy did not assign set meanings to his works of art. Everything is open to interpretation by everyone who looks at them. As he became more prolific, he assigned names to them for the purpose of clarity when people purchased art. He created over 22,000 pieces of work, mostly in his signature colors of black, red, and white.

I saw a person in a small plane.
It is called Black Widow.

He went to college, earning a degree in mechanical engineering, which he said did not impact his art. When he was 25 years old, working for the Gazette he was sent to cover the Ringling Brothers Circus. When he traveled in Paris he created an early piece called Cirque Calder using found materials to create a trapeze, strong men, and other aspects of what he saw with Ringling. 

On a cross Atlantic voyage he met Louisa James, the grandniece of author Henry James, and fell in love. 

In 1931 he created his first kinetic moving statue, which he called a mobile. His larger, grounded, non-moving pieces became known as staybiles. A visit to Piet Mondrian's studio in 1930 was another inspiration. He is known for his blocky line drawing done with primary colors, outlined in black.

Some of his staybiles are large enough to walk under and through. We are careful to not touch them. Pam allowed us time to look at each piece and come up with our own interpretation before she shared her thoughts, and the name given. My thoughts were completely different from hers. Just as I might see different shapes in clouds than the person next to me sees.

During the World War II years metal was in short supply, so he used what he had available, including wood. This made me wonder if any of his works were destroyed in order to be repurposed for battleships. A question I did not ask because I really did not want to hear the answer. It could go either way.

Moving his artwork is a process. They are taken apart and shipped by professionals. Once reassembled they are touched up by paint. He made smaller versions (maquettes) to show perspective buyers his thoughts on what he wanted to create on a larger scale. He would use engineers to scale up the sculptures and use professional welders to finish them, always under his close supervision.

Anyone familiar with Philadelphia recognizes this statue of William Penn. It was created by Alexander Milne Calder, Sandy's grandfather. It sits atop City Hall. Until One Liberty Place was built in 1987, there was a gentleman's agreement that nothing would be taller than William Penn. Milne always believed it faced the wrong direction because his face did not receive the right light. He also created the Swann Memorial Fountain, also in Philadelphia. He came from a very artistic family.