Cornish, NH, Woodstock, VT, and Springfield, MA, — In celebration of the 100^th anniversary of the National Park Service, the New England Sculptors Association has joined with three national parks — Saint-Gaudens National Historic Site, Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park, and the Springfield Armory National Historic Site — to create a major exhibition of contemporary sculpture. The exhibit runs all summer from June 4 through August 22, 2016.

Each park will have an opening event for the exhibit. The Opening at Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller NHP in Woodstock, Vermont, will be on Saturday, June 4^th in conjunction with Trek to Taste (www.trektotaste.info). As part of the event, the park’s curator will offer a walking tour of the exhibit starting at 10:30 am and welcome ceremony for the artists will take place at 2:00 pm.

The Opening Reception at Saint-Gaudens National Historic Site in Cornish, New Hampshire, will be held on Saturday, June 11 from 4–6 pm. Visitors can stroll the grounds and the indoor gallery to view each sculpture. Light refreshments will be served.

The Opening Reception at Springfield Armory in Springfield, Massachusetts, will be on Saturday, June 18 from 2-4 pm in conjunction with the park’s popular Armory Day event which includes an evolution of firearms blank firing, military encampment, and other festivities.

An accompanying exhibition catalog will be available at all three parks and online, and will feature maps to locate the sculptures and descriptions of each work of art.

The theme of the centennial is “Find Your Park” and in considering which sculptures to submit for the exhibit, the sculptors thought about how the parks influenced their art and have enriched American culture for all these years.

“This exhibit celebrates the variety of artistic expression — how nature, industry and art combine to inspire and intrigue us today, just as they did one hundred years ago,” said Henry Duffy, Ph.D., curator at Saint-Gaudens. “Visitors will see both figurative and abstract sculptures made from materials including marble, granite, bronze, metal, steel, porcelain, alabaster and recycled objects.”

NESA’s established sculptors and emerging artists continually strive for new creative interpretations that engage viewers — encouraging them to experience new ideas and bring about change.

“We are delighted to partner with these three national parks and participate in their centennial celebration,” added William Bloomfield, president of NESA. “I know that all of our member artists whose work is on display this summer, myself included, feel honored to be selected to exhibit in these beautiful and historic locations.”

Artists exhibiting at Saint-Gaudens NHS include: David Adilman, Michael Alfano, Thomas Berger, William Bloomfield, Kathleen Brennan, Bob Clyatt, Josie Campbell Dellenbaugh, Valerie Deveraux, Nancy Diefenbach, Carol Driscoll, Kevin Duffy, Larry Elardo, Arlene Fins, Yetti Frenkel, Leslie Fry, Catherine Irvine, Stacy Latt Savage, Madeleine Lord, Valery Mahuchy, Fred Manasse, Judith Morton, Gary Rathmell, Antoinette Schultze, Karin Stanley and Alan Weinstein.

Artists exhibiting at Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller NHP include: Anne Alexander, Gregory Barry, Thomas Berger, William Bloomfield, Bob Clyatt, Jeffrey Cooper, Valerie Deveraux, Nancy Diefenbach, Larry Elardo,Leslie Fry, Madeleine Lord, Valery Mahuchy, Susan Neet Goodwin, Gary Orlinsky, Gary Rathmell, Antoinette Schultze, Karin Stanley, Steve Storch and Carolyn Wirth.

Artists exhibiting at Springfield Armory NHS include: Gilbert Boro, Jeffrey Cooper, Shawn Farrell, Leslie Fry, Douglass Gray, Stacy Latt Savage, and Gary Rathmell.

For more information about visiting the parks and details of the exhibition, including a full exhibit guide, visit the parks’ websites at: Saint-Gaudens NHS www.nps.gov/saga, Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller NHP www.nps.gov/mabi and Springfield Armory NHS www.nps.gov/spar.

About Saint-Gaudens National Historic Site

Saint-Gaudens National Historic Site preserves the home, collections, gardens and studio of Augustus Saint-Gaudens (1848-1907), one of America’s greatest sculptors. The park holds the largest museum collection of Saint-Gaudens artwork in the world, interprets Saint-Gaudens public monuments in large cities around the United States, and interprets the Cornish Colony of artists which formed around Saint-Gaudens in New Hampshire. http://www.nps.gov/saga

About Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park

Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller was home to pioneer 19th century conservationists George Perkins Marsh and Frederick Billings and 20th century conservationists Mary and Laurance S. Rockefeller. The park was established to explore the history and evolution of conservation and demonstrate contemporary stewardship practices. The park is also home to the Stewardship Institute. http://www.nps.gov/mabi

About Springfield Armory National Historic Site
For nearly two centuries, Springfield Armory was the center of innovation for the US Armed Forces and American industry. Started in 1794, as the first armory in the United States, weapons designed and manufactured at Springfield Armory were in the hands of the American military in every major conflict since the War of 1812. Today, Springfield Armory National Historic Site commemorates the critical role of the nation’s first armory by preserving and interpreting the world’s largest historic US military small arms collection, along with historic archives, buildings, and landscapes. www.nps.gov/spar

About the New England Sculptors Association

Founded in 1948, the New England Sculptors Association is one of the leading sculpture organizations in the country. Its juried members work in a variety of media including stone, metal, wood, glass, clay, fiber, and recycled objects. NESA welcomes emerging artists and students (with a special student rate) as well as established sculptors. NESA creates exhibitions and collaborates with partners to co-sponsor exhibits, workshops, and events that advance the understanding and appreciation of sculpture. Our members’ work is featured in National Parks, museums, galleries, universities, and other indoor/outdoor venues. To learn more about NESA and view the gallery of our members’ work, visit our website: www.nesculptors.org.