Berkshire Botanical Garden Announces ‘Grand Gesture: Monumental Vessels in the Garden’ May 16 through October
STOCKBRIDGE, MASS. — Step into a world where clay becomes living form in “Grand Gesture: Monumental Vessels in the Garden,” an exhibition at Berkshire Botanical Garden in Stockbridge, Mass., featuring the striking sculptures of Vermont-based ceramicist Stephen Procter. Placed throughout the Garden, Procter’s works turn simple materials into forms that feel both grounded and expressive.
The exhibition runs May 16 through October. A public reception will be held on Friday, May 15, from 5 to 7 p.m. Garden hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., daily.
Procter’s large vessels — some weighing up to 250 pounds and standing as tall as five feet — are both monumental and approachable, inviting reflection and a personal response. As physical objects, they draw the eye and shape the spaces around them; as sculptures, they carry a calm, steady presence.
Reflecting on the meaning behind the exhibition’s title, Procter explains that a “grand gesture” goes beyond scale. “More important is the inspiration that motivates and justifies the scale. The animating impulse often includes some mixture of generosity, expansiveness, gratitude, compassion, awe, and love,” he says.
Set within the changing environment of the Garden, the works shift over time. “In the Garden, the vessels are constantly changing,” Procter notes. “The surfaces, even unglazed, subtly reflect light. Shadows of leaves play on them, they shine in rain … and take on moss patina over time.”
Procter describes his practice as “a long-term investigation into the mystery of form,” exploring how gesture and volume can evoke emotional responses.
Visitors may find themselves forming unexpected connections with the sculptures. According to Procter, the vessels communicate in a non-verbal language that reaches beyond the intellect: “Their mode of communication bypasses the realm of the intellect and goes directly to something deeper.” If they could speak, he adds, “they might be, ‘Be here now. I am with you.’”
In addition to the outdoor installation, smaller, classically inspired works by Procter will be on view in the Leonhardt Galleries.
After decades of refining his craft, Procter still finds each installation moment meaningful. “We set it down, and so often someone in the party exclaims words I love to hear: ‘It looks like it has always been here!’”
ABOUT BERKSHIRE BOTANICAL GARDEN Established in 1934 as the “Berkshire Garden Center,” Berkshire Botanical Garden is one of the oldest public display gardens in the Northeast. This not-for-profit, membership-supported educational organization encompasses 24 acres at the intersection of Routes 102 and 183 in Stockbridge, Massachusetts. Open year-round for classes, lectures, workshops, and exhibitions, the Garden welcomes visitors to its display gardens daily from early April through Oct. 31, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Its mission is to provide information, education, and inspiration concerning the science, art, and joy of gardening, and its vital role in preserving the environment.
For more information, visit BerkshireBotanical.org.