VERO BEACH — Beginning Jan. 3, visitors to McKee Botanical Garden may be startled by the addition of bronze sculptures so lifelike and convincing in appearance that they might be mistaken for actual human beings.
These sculptures are the work of American artist Seward Johnson, whose talents will be showcased in the Seward Johnson Sculpture Exhibition at McKee through April 27.
The Seward Johnson Sculpture Exhibition will feature 20 lifesize installations representing two of Johnson’s sculpture series: Celebrating the Familiar and Beyond the Frame.
Each bronze casting reflects the realism and meticulous attention to detail that are the hallmark of Johnson’s work.
Since beginning his artistic career as a sculptor in the late 1960s, more than 450 of Johnson’s bronze figures have been featured in private collections and museums in the U.S., Canada, Europe, and Asia, as well as in the public realm.
Johnson has several publicly sited works in New York, Washington, D.C., Chicago, Dallas, Houston, and Los Angeles. In Florida, his sculptures have appeared in such locales as Lakeland, Sarasota, and Key West.
Seward Johnson is most widely known for his sculptures depicting ordinary people engaged in everyday activities. His desire to highlight the mundane in his Celebrating the Familiar sculpture series has brought a unique voice to the world of art in public spaces.
Installations at McKee will portray individuals performing various activities in the garden, from fishing in the Main Pond to relaxing with a good book in the greeting area.
There will be children playing in the meadow and a family engaged in an impromptu photo shoot. Each sculpture brings an added dimension to life at McKee.
Johnson’s Impressionist-inspired series entitled Beyond the Frame consists of elaborate tableaux that allows viewers to walk into the scenes of Impressionist paintings by artists such as Monet, Renoir, and van Gogh, among others.
In his three dimensional interpretations, Johnson recreates his subjects in the same color palette and context of the original painting, but in true to life scale.
The exhibition at McKee will contain eight sculptures from this body of work including A Turn of the Century inspired by Renoir’s “A Dance at Bougival,” La Promenade modeled after Caillebotte’s “Paris Street, Rainy Day,” and Monet, our Visiting Artist, a playful depiction of the beloved artist painting one of his favorite subjects: waterlilies.
In addition to his contributions as a sculptor, Johnson has had a significant impact on the art community, creating the Johnson Atelier Technical Institute of Sculpture and the renowned art park Grounds For Sculpture in New Jersey.
He is the past president of the International Sculpture Center, was the publisher of a science magazine, and started an off-Broadway theater in New York. He also served as president of a large oceanographic research facility.
“Seward Johnson is one of the most widely recognized sculptors of our time, known worldwide for his highly detailed bronze sculptures. We are thrilled to host the Seward Johnson Sculpture Exhibition here at McKee and to share these unique creations with our visitors,” said McKee Botanical Garden Executive Director Christine Hobart.
In addition to daily viewing, visitors will have three opportunities to see the sculptures, specially illuminated for nighttime viewing, during McKee’s Seward Johnson Twilight Nights events scheduled for Jan. 17, Feb. 14, and March 7 from 6-8 p.m.
Each event will include a live jazz performance by The Coffee Beans from 6:30-7:30 p.m. on the Garden Patio.
The Seward Johnson Sculpture Exhibition is sponsored by Dr. and Mrs. David J. McKenna, Barbara and David Baldwin, Dick and Sally Brickman, Bill and Laura Buck, Stephanie P. Hurtt, Barry and Robin MacTaggart, Gail and Bob Malin, Mangrove Garden Foundation, Mr. and Mrs. John J. Schumann, Jr., Dace and King Stubbs, Wilmington Trust, Connie and Bob Wood, Duke and Gael Habernickel, Natalie C. Jackson, Mr. and Mrs. Stephen F. Newhouse, Spectrum Interior Design, Mrs. Charlotte Stifel, Pat and Carol Welsh, Mrs. Peggy Wolcott, Scripps Treasure Coast Newspapers, 93.7 The Breeze, and 97.1 Ocean FM.
Seward Johnson Twilight Nights is sponsored by Spectrum Interior Design.