You probably don't think of art when you think of Crow's Nest Preserve. After all, we are not a sculpture garden like Storm King or Grounds for Sculpture. And as far as I know Andy Goldsworthy has never visited.
But art and nature are not mutually exclusive here. In 2001 we had an art show in the barn at our annual June open house. And in 2004 our summer camp theme was Mother Nature and Other Artists—a celebration of beauty in nature and creativity in kids.
We also host contra dancing twice a year—a performance art of sorts? And the preserve makes a great venue for artists seeking inspiration.
I also argue that the design and craftsmanship of the timber framing of the ongoing barn restoration is art—taking the trunks of hazard trees and turning them into this functional sculpture.
Art can be found in a few other niches at the preserve. A cairn can be found along Northside Road at the preserve. Though they are usually used to help travelers find their way, this cairn reminds passerby that this road was not always so easy to negotiate, that we shouldn't take for granted the way we travel today. It also offers a "clue to care"—a reminder that the protection and management of these woods is not accidental; someone cares about roadside trash, the protection of the trees, and generally how one should behave in these woods.
The new bat house post has a predator guard with a punched-tin image of a bat that helps explain what those boxes above are for even as it discourages animals from climbing past the slippery band.
This new temporary installation is entitled Harrowed Harrow and is made out of red maple, chain, and found objects: disks from broken farm equipment. (Red maple is a species that we are removing from a couple areas as part of a wetland restoration.) The work is located in a former farm field converted to warm season grass wildlife habitat. For the title I was originally going to twist the common expression "The plow broke the prairie" into its converse—except the expression is actually "plains"—as in the 1936 film and the parts are actually from a harrow...
Since I have seen the film Rivers and Tides about some of Andy Goldsworthy's work I knew I needed to put up this most recent object on the coldest, sleet- and snow-driven day I could find (at least it seems that way). This weekend fit the bill.
You can visit Crow's Nest any day and I hope you find nature, beauty, and art wherever you want to find it.
