DeCordova Sculpture Park and Museum
It’s on a gorgeous fall day, when the bright colors of foliage become dazzling, that we set on to explore deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum, located 20 miles north-west of Boston (New England, United States).
DeCordova Sculpture Park and Museum owes its creation to Bostonian businessman Julian de Cordova (1851-1945). At the end of the 1930s, de Cordova, who was also a great art amateur and passionate collector, bequeathed his property and his collection to the town of Lincoln (Massachusetts, United States), to ensure that his legacy would continue to be shared with the public after his death. Since its renovation in the 1950s, which aimed at creating an art center dedicated to New England contemporary artists, exhibitions come one after the other. The museum also holds a contemporary art biennial, the deCordova New England Biennial, which happened to be taking place during our visit.
As soon as one enters, a very contemporary looking welcoming booth sets the tone, and one can already catch a first glimpse of artworks by artists such as Richard Long, Dan Graham, Jim Dine, Ursula von Rydingsvard or Jaume Plensa.
Among the sixty or so sculptures displayed in the park, about thirty are part of the permanent collection, which consists mainly of gifts from artists to the museum. The rest are recent acquisitions or loans from galleries or private collections. Located on the banks of Flints Pond, the 30-acre sculpture park surrounds a hill on top of which stands the museum. The sculptures, most of which are monumental, are scattered across a landscape of well-maintained forests and manicured lawns with beautiful centenarian trees.
In a typical New England setting, a mere 40-minute drive from Boston, this visit will always offer surprises, even in the middle of winter under the snow.
DeCordova Sculpture Park and Museum
51 Sandy Pond Rd,
Lincoln, MA 01773,
United States
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Summer
Open daily from 10am to 5pm
Winter
Wednesday – Friday 10am to 4pm
Saturday – Sunday 10am to 5pm