(SUMMIT, NJ) -- As the trees lay bare and the gardens lie low and quiet during these winter months, two garden sculptures, hidden gems by acclaimed sculptor Jon Krawczyk, stand out at Reeves-Reed Arboretum in Summit. They will be on display through May 31, 2022.
The first sculpture, Full Moon Over Summit (shown at the top of this article), its name a nod to its current location, takes center stage in the rose garden. The twisting bronze sculpture appears to balance on “tip toe” among the historic rose bushes. Its intense patina of earth tones with bright blues and greens adds warmth to the winter garden and seems quite at home in this natural environment.
The second sculpture, Blue Magic (shown below), is a stainless-steel sentinel skirting the garden bed of the Arboretum’s amphitheater. Its shiny abstract form reflects its surroundings in surprising ways. The smooth polished steel glistens in the sun, and reflects every season, whether it be sparkling snow, fragrant lilacs, or fluttering fall leaves.
A “jersey boy,” hailing from Boonton, and a graduate of Connecticut College, Krawczyk has studied fine art throughout Europe and apprenticed with various renowned sculptors. He draws inspiration from artists such as Picasso, Henry Moore, and David Smith, and is not only influenced by the obvious masterful techniques of these artists, but also by their philosophies of the sculptural process. He realizes his biomorphic sculptures by cutting sheet stainless-steel or bronze and welding, pounding, and shaping with focused heat. Each sculpture is therefore unique, as the works are never cast from a mold.
Krawczyk is shown in select galleries throughout the United Sates and garnered national attention for his 9/11 Memorial Cross at St. Peter's Cathedral in NYC. He has created large-scale, site-specific commissioned sculptures for public and corporate clients, such as LinkedIn, Apple, Four Season Hotels, the SF Giants' AT&T Park, and the SF 49ers Stadium. New Jerseyans may recognize his 22-foot tall, 6,000-pound stainless-steel ice-hockey sculpture, Stanley, outside the Prudential Center in Newark, who hockey fans have dubbed “The Iron Man.”
The two sculptures located on the grounds of Reeves-Reed Arboretum will make the garden home through June, offering the public a chance to see them among lush spring blooms. These “hidden gems” are for sale and will hopefully find a new home, whether it be at a public garden, corporate park, or private home. If you are interested in purchasing Jon Krawczyk’s Full Moon Over Summit or Blue Magic, please contact RRA Executive Director, Jackie Kondel, at [email protected] or (908) 272-8787, x1515. The artist will generously donate 30% of the purchase to Reeves-Reed Arboretum.
Reeves-Reed Arboretum is located at 165 Hobart Avenue in Summit, New Jersey.
Celebrating over 40 years as a historic public garden and education resource, Reeves-Reed Arboretum engages, educates, and enriches the public through horticulture and environmental education, and the care and utilization of the gardens and estate. Open 7 days a week, the Arboretum is listed on both the National and New Jersey State Historic Registers. Funding for RRA has been made possible in part by the NJ Historical Commission, a division of the Department of State, through a grant administered by the Union County Office of Cultural & Heritage Affairs, Dept. of Parks & Community Renewal. Reeves-Reed Arboretum....a place to grow, for everyone!
Photos are courtesy of Reeves-Reed Arboretum
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