By Josh Hughes
Walking in 15 acres of forest in the northern corner of Lummi Island, you may stumble upon a circle of dancing figures dressed in classical Grecian and Roman garb. Walk closer amongst the trees and into a patch of grass and you’ll find the figures embellished with glistening leaves and seaweed, frozen in eternal bronze.
The piece is Ann Morris’ “Double Dream,” one of her 16 bronze sculptures in the mystical Sculpture Woods. Western has just acquired the property by Morris and her family’s donation.
Morris founded her outdoor artist’s haven in 1995, according to the Western Foundation’s announcement, and she’s been instilling her spirit into the property ever since. Located just above the Rosario Strait on Lummi Island, Sculpture Woods has become Morris’ foundry, gallery, studio, yoga space and sculpture garden in her 22 years with the property. Her and her family’s decision to donate the property to Western provides immense opportunity for the school in the coming decades.
The place itself came to fruition through private donors over the years; any contributions to a separate endowment through Western are encouraged, and those with questions can email Sonja Sather, the Fine and Performing Arts department’s director of development, at Sonja.Sather@wwu.edu.
The endowment, which totals over $1 million, will ensure that the property continues to be upheld throughout the years.
Morris will now lease the property from Western until she wants to leave, at which point the College of Fine & Performing Arts will take over. This means that the transition may be long, but that eventually Sculpture Woods will be a space that Western can use for various purposes.
So, what does that mean for the average Western student?
First and foremost, it means that Western may become known not only for its on-campus sculpture garden, but also its off-campus one. But more importantly, it means that a beautifully and (largely) untapped area of forest will become a collaborative, educational environment that students will be able to utilize. Western currently hopes to use the space as a means to “collect, exhibit and preserve visual arts”, as the donation’s announcement reads.
The Western Gallery will be able to extend their reach to Sculpture Woods to achieve this goal of emphasizing the visual arts. According to the WWU Foundation website, the studio will become a place for visiting artists to hold residence, with possibilities for student use over the years. While much remains up in the air about logistics of its future uses, in the announcement Western promised to retain the spirit and heart of Ann Morris in extending the use of her creation.
The space itself is home to the previously mentioned figurative bronze sculptures, as well as an array of Morris’ “bone vessels”— boat sculptures made from (you guessed it) assorted bones and plants. These pieces, while much smaller than the bronze pieces, sit in Morris’ studio, and will continue to do so once Western totally has the property.
Of the various sculptures scattered around the forest, some names are “Backbone of the Universe,” “Acceptance of Sorrow,” and “Life-Death-Life.” Between their titles and their mythical appearance, it’s easy to get a feel for the vibe that Morris has delicately instilled in the place over her years as an artist.
All of the bronze pieces also come with accompanying text that add depth to Morris’ various mechanisms of symbolism. The text for “Will There Be a Place For”, for instance, reads:
“The Goddess of the Cycles is reborn as a Virgin. She is growth, anticipation, and youthfulness about to spring from between the young horns of Nature itself, bringing her fruitfulness, a body filled with flowers to the world. Has our consciousness made a place of welcome for her? She brings creative possibility and answers to living in a meaningful relationship to Nature. She can teach us if we will ask the right questions and listen. Will there be a place for her?”
You get the point. Each piece can be read in regards to Morris’ own intended meaning, but the artwork also stands on its own. The figure of “Will There Be a Place For Me” crouches around a pair of unworldly antlers, as intricate flowers lace down her spine. The face itself appears to be nothing more than a horned mask, with an empty space where the skull should be. It’s all quite evocative, and exemplifies a passion for nature and the strange power it holds over us. Perfect for a 15-acre property that mostly consists of Western Red Cedars.
Once Western begins utilizing the property, all these sculptures will become more accessible to students than they’ve ever been. While Sculpture Woods is open to the public every first Saturday of the month from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Western will open the doors (literally) for students and community members to reap the benefits of such a mysterious and tranquil place.