Grounds For Sculpture is a 35 acres (141,640.1 m²)
sculpture park and museum

Museum

A museum is an institution that cares for a collection of artifacts and other objects of scientific, artistic, cultural, or historical importance and makes them available for public viewing through exhibits that may be permanent or temporary. Most large museums are located in major cities...

 located in Hamilton Township, Mercer County, New Jersey

Hamilton Township, Mercer County, New Jersey

Hamilton Township is a Township in Mercer County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2010 Census, the township had a total population of 88,464...

, United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

, on the former site of the New Jersey State Fairgrounds. Founded in 1992 by John Seward Johnson II

John Seward Johnson II

John Seward Johnson II also known as J. Seward Johnson, Jr. and Seward Johnson is an American artist known for his trompe l'oeil painted bronze statues, and a grandson of Robert Wood Johnson I ....

, the venue was intended to be dedicated to promoting an understanding of and appreciation for contemporary sculpture by organizing exhibitions, publishing catalogues, and offering a variety of educational programs and special community events.

In July 2000, it became a nonprofit organization open to the public. The sculpture park counts on the support of visitors, art patrons, donations, and grants to continue its growth as an outstanding center for the arts.

In 2006, "Zeus and Hera", a sculpture by Carole Feuerman

Carole Feuerman

Carole A. Feuerman is an American artist and hyper-realistic sculptor. She currently lives and works in New York, New York. Feuerman is most known for her resin sculptures painted in oil, but she also utilizes other media such as bronze and stone...

  was installed in the permanent collection.

Comprising over two hundred and forty large-scale contemporary sculptures, the venue includes works by Johnson, as well as renowned and emerging American and international artists. The park's outdoor collection grows by fifteen sculptures annually. Outdoor works are selected to augment indoor exhibitions, to add new artists to the sculpture park, and to complement the landscaped environment.

Rat's Restaurant

Rat's Restaurant is nestled in the greenery of Grounds for Sculpture. The restaurant offers an upscale dining experience for both park visitors and special events. Conceptually designed by Johnson, the restaurant's aesthetic aims to take the diner into a French impressionist painting by Claude Monet

Claude Monet

Claude Monet was a founder of French impressionist painting, and the most consistent and prolific practitioner of the movement's philosophy of expressing one's perceptions before nature, especially as applied to plein-air landscape painting. . Retrieved 6 January 2007...

. The scenery features Johnson's own impressionist-inspired sculptures, as well as a lily pond and bridge. The restaurant boasts fine French cuisine

French cuisine

French cuisine is a style of food preparation originating from France that has developed from centuries of social change. In the Middle Ages, Guillaume Tirel , a court chef, authored Le Viandier, one of the earliest recipe collections of Medieval France...

, a rustic fireplace, handmade cocktails, and an exceptional beer

Beer

Beer is the world's most widely consumed andprobably oldest alcoholic beverage; it is the third most popular drink overall, after water and tea. It is produced by the brewing and fermentation of sugars, mainly derived from malted cereal grains, most commonly malted barley and malted wheat...

 and wine

Wine

Wine is an alcoholic beverage, made of fermented fruit juice, usually from grapes. The natural chemical balance of grapes lets them ferment without the addition of sugars, acids, enzymes, or other nutrients. Grape wine is produced by fermenting crushed grapes using various types of yeast. Yeast...

 list.

The peculiar name of the restaurant is based on one of Johnson's favorite books, Kenneth Grahame

Kenneth Grahame

Kenneth Grahame was a Scottish writer, most famous for The Wind in the Willows , one of the classics of children's literature. He also wrote The Reluctant Dragon; both books were later adapted into Disney films....

's The Wind in the Willows

The Wind in the Willows

The Wind in the Willows is a classic of children's literature by Kenneth Grahame, first published in 1908. Alternately slow moving and fast paced, it focuses on four anthropomorphised animal characters in a pastoral version of England...

. For Johnson, the character Ratty is the perfect host. He likens himself to Ratty due to their love of good parties and good wine, as well as their shared tendency toward wild imaginations and dreams.

The natural settings

Taking seriously both words in "sculpture garden", efforts are made to carefully integrate and grow many trees, grasses, and flowers to augment the installed works. The living portion of an exhibit may change dramatically throughout the year.

External links

• http://www.groundsforsculpture.org