Glenstone
Stunning “Split Rocker” at Glenstone (Photo credit: Yantar Yoga)
One of the unexpected benefits of the pandemic for me has been newly found motivation to explore places nearby. With air travel still a hassle, and as someone who is not a fan of long road trips, I opt for visiting what’s within an easy rich of a day trip. It’s become a new hobby of sorts: checking various DC area attractions off my long-standing bucket list.
Glenstone has been on my list for a long time and I finally made it there! Part-museum and part open-air sculpture garden and nature retreat, Glenstone self-describes as “a place that seamlessly integrates art, architecture, and nature into a serene and contemplative environment.” Mission accomplished, indeed! Even though Glenstone is on the outskirts of Washington DC, it may as well be hundreds of miles away - it is a totally different world. The visitors are first greeted by an expansive meadow landscape that reminded me of the National Arboretum and what this area looked like before urban development. Rolling hills, tall glasses, wildflowers, woodlands… and then suddenly you see a giant animal head emerging on the horizon! Meet the "Split Rocker," a colossal 40-foot plant sculpture by Jeff Koons made out of a stainless steel hull dotted with 27,000 flowering plants and containing its own irrigation system. The effect is truly stunning, both from a distance and up close!
Glenstone opened in 2006 and expanded in 2018, a brainchild of Emily & Mitch Rales who envisioned it “not only as a place, but a state of mind created by the energy of architecture, the power of art, and the restorative qualities of nature.” As the venue’s website explains, the name derives from Glen Road, where the property line begins, and a type of carderock stone indigenous to the area, which is still extracted from several nearby quarries. In addition to amazing outdoor art like the “Split Rocker,” the Pavilions and the Gallery house an amazing collection of post-World War II art. The highlights from my visit were the multi-media works of Faith Ringgold, including brilliant paintings, quilts, and tankas, and a five-panel painting Moss Sutra with the Seasons by Brice Marden. Michael Heizer’s monumental Collapse - a large-scale weathering steel sculpture comprised of fifteen beams arranged within a deep outdoor pit - also left a lasting impression.
The exhibits do not feature a lot of commentary and are displayed in spacious rooms, allowing the visitor to simply be with the art and draw their own interpretations. I left inspired and enriched. And since the exhibitions change periodically, as does the rich nature surrounding the art as the seasons change, I’m sure I will be back soon!