[construction sounds]
>> MARJORIE SEARL: We had long felt that there
was great potential in our grounds.
We had some really distinguished pieces of
sculpture, and we thought: "well, you know,
there's a lot more space here to do something
with it."
And then there were many of us on staff and
many people in the community who felt that
the existence of the fence kept people out,
gave people a sense that they weren't welcome,
and it was really the complete reverse that
we were trying to say.
We knew our centennial was coming up and we
thought, you know, this could be the perfect
opportunity for us to accomplish our goals
of expanding the outdoor sculpture on our
grounds and having our grounds be more integrated
with the surrounding neighborhood.
>> JIM DURFEE: The official dedication of
this sculpture park is one of the highlights
of our centennial year.
By opening up our grounds to the community
and commissioning four site-specific sculptures,
we've created a unique urban gathering space
and one of the finest installations of public
art in the Northeast.
>> GRANT HOLCOMB: Go back 100 years: October
the 8th of 1913, when this building was opened.
Emily Sibley Watson wanted an art museum "for
the edification and enjoyment of the people,
citizens of Rochester."
Well today, almost 100 years later, we open,
we dedicate a new centennial sculpture park
thanks to your efforts and your generosity.
>> JIM DURFEE: Three, two, one, CUT! [applause]
>> ALBERT PALEY: 100 years ago, the landscape
design was done and basically that's the way
it was.
What's happened over the 100 years is you
have the maturity of the trees, but the basic
plan is the same.
This is a total transformation - the whole
park.
Obviously the main core of the museum is in
the collections inside, but here, by moving
outdoor sculpture, it expands their exposure
to the community tremendously with the dedication
of this park.
>> WENDELL CASTLE: When you make a piece that
the gallery sells to somebody, I may not even
know who that somebody is, and it's going
off and it's gonna be in their house, I guess.
I'll never see it again or know where it is.
This I can visit anytime I want and so can
everybody else.
>> Keep twisting on the head!
>> TOM OTTERNESS: Oh, it's beautiful to see!
I mean, I was so used to seeing construction
sites and yellow tape, and it's great to see
it in use.
It's terrific to see people hanging out the
way I hoped they would - sitting in the benches
and climbing on the pieces in the back and
families coming and touching the bronzes.
All that: that's the real reward for me.
I'm really honored to be in this place - to
be at the entrance, this kind of bridge, between
the museum and the community, and the museum's
fabulous collection is something I really
feel honored to be associated with.
>> JACKIE FERRARA: I love it, I love it!
And part of the thing with the public garden,
it's really very much about the place and
understanding, for me, what I think is important
about the place.
>> MARJORIE SEARL: Almost no matter what time
of day or night that I'm walking the grounds,
I see people coming through and stopping and
looking and engaging, and I see families coming
here to be around the art in a way that they
never did before.
Our mission is connecting people with art,
and we feel that this extends the mission
greatly.
[bell chimes]
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