An Alexander Calder ‘Sanctuary’ Is Coming to Philadelphia to Showcase the Sculptor’s Work in Permanent Galleries and Gardens

Philadelphia will soon be home to a new space dedicated to one
of the city’s beloved native sons, sculptor Alexander Calder.

Described as a “sanctuary”—and explicitly not a museum—the
facility, designed by Herzog & de Meuron, will be an indoor
and outdoor space with gardens and galleries to showcase works from
the collection of the Calder Foundation.

“This initiative marks the first time that a building and
grounds are being commissioned specifically to display Calder’s
work,” said Alexander S.C. Rower, president of the Calder Foundation and grandson of the artist, in a
statement. “The foundation is thrilled to collaborate on creating a
meditative place that has the express purpose of enabling the
public to experience and engage with my grandfather’s radical work
in unprecedented ways.”

The new nonprofit institution, which has yet to be named, was
founded by the foundation with several Philadelphia philanthropic
organizations, including the Neubauer Family Foundation, the Pew
Charitable Trusts, and H.F. Lenfest, with the support of the City
of Philadelphia and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

Construction of the new venue on Benjamin Franklin
Parkway, across from the Barnes Foundation and the Rodin
Museum, is set to begin early next year, reports the New York
Times. Plans for the building will be unveiled over the
summer.

The Calder name is well known in these parts. Three sculptures
by three generations of Calders—his father, Alexander Stirling Calder, and
grandfather Alexander Milne
Calder were also artists—are installed along the Benjamin
Franklin Parkway.

The foundation was first in talks to build a permanent space for
the artist’s work along the thoroughfare some 20 years ago. The
forthcoming space will be located at the same location as that
unrealized museum.

“The artistry of the Calder family is an important part of the
fabric of our city,” said Rebecca W. Rimel, president and CEO of
the Pew Charitable Trusts, one of the project’s philanthropic
partners, in a statement. “A home on the Parkway for some of
Calder’s most consequential works will advance the city’s
reputation as a world-class arts destination and enhance its appeal
to national and international visitors.”

The post An Alexander Calder ‘Sanctuary’ Is Coming to
Philadelphia to Showcase the Sculptor’s Work in Permanent Galleries
and Gardens appeared first on artnet News.