Meijer Gardens and Sculpture Park in early August

So far this month I've walked over to Meijer Gardens two out of the first three days of the month. And, once again, I am struck by how much I still haven't seen -- especially sculpture: bits of bronze and stone tucked into green niches, off beaten paths, down an overgrown path. Being there makes me feel like the flâneur I long to be. . .

August 1, familiar pieces:

"Mad Mom" by Tom Otterness

"Two Bears" by Marshall Fredericks

"Grand Rapids Arch" by Andy Goldsworthy

"Urban Excursion" and Rendezvous" by Chakaia Booker

"Visitation" by Joseph Kinnebrew

And on August 3, some not-so-familiar (excepting the Rodin):

"Eve" by Auguste Rodin

"Torso of Summer" by Aristide Maillol 

"Standing Woman" by Ossip Zadkine

"Juggler" by Marino Mariani

"Tana" by Mimmi Paladino

Brazen fish

"Broken nose carrying a bottle" by Juan Muñoz

"Scarlatti" by Mark di Suvero - OK, we've seen this one before

Wildflower field

"Column of the Free Spirit" by Richard Hunt - but how this escaped me, escapes me now

A VandenBerg Saga: the Early years in Fremont

1952: siblings Susan VandenBerg and her older brother William J VandenBerg

1953: Susan and William J VandenBerg holding brother Dick

1954: Susan VandenBerg and her older brother William J VandenBerg

1954

1955: the VandenBerg gang: Kid Dick, Calamity Susan and Wild William

1956: Dick, Susan  and William VandenBerg

1956: Susan mother Bernice and brother William

1955: Dick, Susan  and William VandenBerg

1956: William, Susan, Dick and Joyce

1956: William, Susan, Dick and Joyce

l-r: Ruth Quackenbush Susan VandenBerg Mary VB Bernice VB Joyce VB Jim Quackenbush and son John QB

Happy Birthday Susie!

1957

Vandenbergs go west in 1962

World's Fair Seattle 1962: Susan, Mary and Joyce

World's Fair Seattle 1962: the five kids with Mom

World's Fair Seattle 1962: eating Belgian waffles

Susan inside the trailer

Grand Coulee dam

William J

Badlands

Yep, Mt. Rushmore

Backbone State Park campground, Iowa

Yellowstone

(Part of an ongoing project of scanning old slides of VandenBerg and Van Halsema family photos and sharing them online -- more to come!)