March 6, 2018 / Nancy Mueller / Northwest Travel and Life

Art in Nature: 5 Western Washington Sculpture Parks

Spring signals a new season of recreational adventures when art and nature lovers can find the best of both worlds. For an art-filled walk on the wild side, these five Western Washington sculpture parks provide the perfect venue for viewing large-scale collections in natural settings. WWU Campus Sculpture Collection Bellingham, WA westerngallery. wwu.edu Stroll across the campus ofWestern Washington University and you're likely to see students sitting atop artist Bruce  Nauman's Stadium Piece. Or eating and mingling together near Nancy Holt's Stone Enclosure: Rock Rings. For students, WWU's sculptures aren't separate structures in the changing interplay of shadow and light, but instead, an integral part of campus life. More than 30 artworks grace the Western Campus Sculpture Collection at Western Washington University, thanks to art patron Virginia Bagley, whose mission was to bring national and international art to Washington State. Hafthor Yngvason, the director of the Western Gallery, invites visitors to have an open mind as they interact with the sculptures, a practice he describes, "more about the physical experience of walking around and being confronted by the art" than only looking at the pieces. Explore your own art perceptions with a step inside Isamu Noguchi's Skyviewing Sculpture or a walk on George Trakas' Bay View Station, which are among the sculptures exhibited on campus. Check out full list here.

        We acknowledge that Whatcom County is located on the unceded territory of the Coast Salish Peoples. They cared for the lands that included what we’d call the Puget Sound region, Vancouver Island and British Columbia since time immemorial. This gives us the great obligation and opportunity to learn how to care for our surrounding areas and all the natural and human resources we require to live. We express our deepest respect and gratitude for our indigenous neighbors, the Lummi Nation and Nooksack Tribe, for their enduring care and protection of our shared lands and waterways.
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