FROM THE ARCHIVES - LAST OF THE STATUES FROM THE SEWARD JOHNSON EXHIBIT WE SAW BACK IN JANUARY 2014

McKee Botanical Garden in Vero Beach, Florida, was incredible. One of the prettiest, tropical gardens I have ever seen. 

The following are the last of the statues that I will be sharing. There were probably ones missed but I think we saw most of them. The links still work but the exhibition is obviously different (the present one at the time of writing is called "Florigami in the Garden". If we were in that vicinity, I know we would enjoy seeing it. The garden is celebrating its centennial. 

The following is what I wrote for a post published on my old blog I (now closed) in March 2014. There may be other things out of date also.

    

"Today I am sharing several sculptures from the garden.  There are more statues today, it will be longer than usual. Apart from the one at the bottom, these will be more present-day pieces. You can follow this link to Seward Johnson's website.

"Best Seller" shows a man who has fallen asleep in an Adirondack chair.  I read that when this sculpture was placed in another exhibition in a park, someone dialed 911 thinking that the man had stayed still for far too long and was worried that he was ill.

"Midstream"
This 'fisherman' is actually wading in their famous lily pond.

"Getting Involved" shows a grandmother knitting....

and on the bench next to her, the reason is clearly shown.

"Out of Sight"

"Summer Thinking"

"Photo Shoot"

"Follow the Leader"

"Shaping Up"

This one is called "Follow Me" and is inspired by Edouard Manet's painting, "The Fifer" painted in 1866.  To find out more you can go to this link."

That's all of them. I will be sharing a couple of posts about the garden and its tropical surroundings eventually. I have enjoyed revisiting and I hope you have also.

Thank you for visiting and for those who have the time to comment, very much appreciated. I hope your day is going well. 

 

McKEE'S BOTANICAL GARDEN, VERO BEACH, FLORIDA - PART 3

 This is the third one I am posting on the Seward Johnson Exhibit from my archives. This one is called, 'A Thought to Consider'.  You can see the others here and here.  This work is inspired by the Edouard Manet painting, 'Dans la serre' (In the Conservatory).  You can see a copy of the painting here. 

The link I have provided, takes you to a website where you can read information on Seward Johnson and see photos of other sculptures. I have noticed that old links sometimes change after a couple of years or so. I don't catch them all. The exhibit ended long ago at the garden, on April 27th, 2014. 

  

If you are ever in any area that may be exhibiting them today, I highly recommend going. Their details are very impressive.

I looked online to see where others might be and I found the following list on Google.

Ormond Beach in Florida, along the Granada Boulevard corridor (from A1A to US 1) until June 30th, 2026. It features works like a chic Mona Lisa and Einstein riding a bicycle.

Grounds for Sculpture in Hamilton, NJ is the primary home for Seward Johnson's work. It is a 42-acre park which maintains an extensive collection of his sculptures. A specific exhibition, "That's Worth Celebrating: The Life and Work of the Johnson Family," is on view through December 31st, 2026.

Mayfair, Philadelphia: a new public exhibit titled "Moments in Motion" is scheduled to arrive in April 2026, featuring various sculptures placed throughout the Mayfair corridor.

The rest - at the time of publishing my post on 3-8-26 and found on Google - is a list of Seward Johnson's work at several permanent and semi-permanent sites:

Hopewell Township, NJ: The monumental 70-foot-wide sculpture The Awakening is in temporary residence at St. Michael's Farm Preserve.

National Harbor, MD: A version of his massive 70-foot aluminum giant, The Awakening, is permanently sited along the Potomac River. This one I am assuming is the same as above. I have seen it many times before on our trips over there, never connecting the fact that it was made by this man. I probably read the plaque and had forgotten it soon after. You can see it here.

Union Township, NJ: Multiple sculptures, including Sidewalk Concert and Mariachi Band, are installed at various landmarks such as the Union Public Library and Russo Park. 

Carmel, IN: The Carmel Art and Design District features several of his "Man-on-the-Street" series sculptures throughout the downtown area.

One last bit of information about this sculptor: Seward Johnson, the American sculptor known for his hyper-realistic bronze figures and for founding the Grounds For Sculpture, was born on April 16th, 1930, in New Brunswick, New Jersey. He died on March 10th, 2020, at the age of 89 in Key West Florida. 

More sculptors to come next week. 

Thanks for stopping by and have a great week.