NEWS RELEASE Media contact:
Colleen Schafroth, Executive Director
(509) 773-3733, colleen@maryhillmuseum.org
Spring Wildflowers,
Art and History Mingle at Maryhill Museum of Art
Pack a picnic and enjoy
an afternoon filled with art and wildflowers
(GOLDENDALE, Wash., April
30, 2009) – Spring has announced its arrival at Maryhill Museum of Art as wildflowers dot the surrounding hills in a riot of vibrant color. The
Columbia River Gorge, where Maryhill is majestically perched, is home to hundreds of varieties of wildflowers, including balsam root, lupine, phlox,
lomatians, wild rose and much more. Peak dates for wildflower viewing at Maryhill are late April and through mid-May.
"Nature puts on a
spectacular show around Maryhill Museum of Art. The colors and textures are simply dazzling," says Colleen Schafroth, executive director of Maryhill.
“This time of year, we always remind visitors to pack a picnic, so they can enjoy the blooms and spend time exploring the museum's grounds, the
outdoor sculpture and interpretative sites,” she says.
Maryhill’s
5,000-acre grounds include several sites of historical and artistic interest, including:
The Lewis and
Clark Native Plant Garden
From this point, visitors
can see native wildflowers as well as the land the Corps of Discovery traversed in October 1805 and again in April 1806.
The Maryhill
Overlook
This site-specific
sculpture by noted Portland architect Brad Cloepfil of Allied Works Architecture gives viewers an opportunity to experience the magnificent setting of
the eastern Columbia River Gorge through a series of cutouts and windows that isolate smaller views within the larger landscape.
The Historic
Maryhill Loops Road
Bikers and walkers can enjoy this 2.8
mile stretch of road from 7 a.m. to dusk daily. Up and back, the walk is a little over five miles, rising through fields of wildflowers and offering
spectacular views of the surrounding countryside. Built by Maryhill founder Sam Hill between 1909 and 1913, it was one of the first modern roads in
the Northwest.
Stonehenge Memorial
Loocated four miles east
of the museum, the Stonehenge Memorial, a full-size replica of England’s Stonehenge, was built by Maryhill founder Sam Hill as a tribute to the
soldiers of Klickitat County who lost their lives during World War I. The site also includes the Klickitat County War Memorial with its own native
plant garden. This Memorial is dedicated to the soldiers of Klickitat County who died in the service of their country since World War
I.
Admission to
Maryhill’s gardens, the Stonehenge Memorial, and Maryhill Loops Road are free.
RELATED SPRING
EVENTS:
Outdoor Sculpture Invitational (May 16 – October
4, 2009) Fist conceived to complement the museum’s extensive collection of
Rodin sculptures, Maryhill’s Outdoor Sculpture Invitational has become one of the premier venues for Northwest artists who create and
exhibit large-scale works. In 2009 the Outdoor Sculpture Invitational will feature works by Northwest sculptors Lance
Carleton, Matt Cartwright, Gregory Glynn, Tom Herrera, Ed Humpherys, Jay Moody, Francisco Salgado, Julie Speidel, Mike Suri, Jeff Tangen, and David
Wagner.
Saturday, May 16, 2009
Founders’ Day
Celebrate Maryhill and all it offers during an activity-packed
day honoring its founders, members and friends. Drive the Maryhill Loops Road, see large-scale sculptures created by Northwest artists, take part in a
family activity or learn more about Maryhill’s impressive collections. Programs include:
Public Drive of the Historic Maryhill Loops Road, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Take a spin on one of the first modern roads in the Northwest, a magnificent drive featuring
beautiful scenery and eight hairpin curves. Once a year, in tribute to Maryhill founder Sam Hill, who constructed the road between 1909 and 1913, the
historic Maryhill Loops Road is opened to the driving public.
Family Fun: Stories from the Hudson River, 1 to 4 p.m.
Storyteller Teddy Cole and award-winning arts educator Mary
Cooper guide children through hands-on learning activities that promise a new appreciation of the art on exhibit. Storytelling at 1 p.m., 2 p.m. and 3
p.m. Art activity is continuous. Family Fun activities and admission to the museum are free for children under 17 with one adult admission.
Lecture: Place and Culture: The Mid-Columbia River, 2:30 p.m.
Historian William G. Robbins presents the
Oregon Chautauqua program, Place and Culture: The Mid-Columbia River. America was once characterized by
broadly distinct regions: New England, the deep South, and the Midwest. Do these designations still have meaning amid worries that the
homogenizing influence of a global economy is eroding many a sense of place and local culture? What do we mean to say when we identify the place
we live as the Pacific Northwest? Robbins is one of the Pacific Northwest’s foremost authorities on the interplay between history and
landscape. His recent books include Landscapes of Conflict: the Oregon Story, 1940-2000 and a short history of the state,
Oregon: This Storied Land.
Sculpture Garden Walk, 3:30 p.m.
Celebrate the opening of the Outdoor Sculpture
Invitational with a garden walk led by curator Lee Musgrave and participating artists. A reception for artists will follow.
The Northwest Wine Auction, 6
p.m.
Add some exceptional Washington and Oregon wines to your cellar and
support Maryhill Museum of Art at the museum’s first wine auction. Bid on a specially curated collection of wines from Columbia River Gorge
appellation, which runs on both sides of the Columbia from Maryhill to Hood River. There will also be fine art and other unique experiences on
auction. This elegant evening, with delicious cuisine, directly supports Maryhill Museum of Art and its wide range of programs. Tickets are $75 per
person. A portion of the ticket price is tax-deductible. Check online at http://www.maryhillmuseum.org/ for updated information and auction items.
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ABOUT MARYHILL MUSEUM OF
ART:
Housed in a glorious Beaux Arts mansion on 5,300 acres high
above the Columbia River, Maryhill Museum of Art is one of the Pacific Northwest’s most enchanting cultural destinations. Founded by
Northwest entrepreneur and visionary Sam Hill, Maryhill opened to the public in 1940; today the museum boasts a world-class permanent collection,
rotating exhibitions of the highest caliber, and dynamic educational programs that provide
opportunities for further exploration by visitors of all ages.
The museum’s collection includes more than 80 works by
Auguste Rodin, European and American paintings, objects d'art from the palaces of the Queen of Romania, Orthodox icons, unique chess sets, and the
renowned Théâtre de la Mode, featuring small-scale mannequins attired in
designer fashions of post-World War II France. Baskets of the indigenous people of North America were a collecting interest of Sam Hill;
today the museum’s Native American collection represents nearly every tradition and style in North America, with works of art from
prehistoric through contemporary.
Maryhill’s Outdoor Sculpture Garden features work
from the permanent collection by Tom Herrera, Mel Katz, Heath Krieger, Alisa Looney, Jill Torberson, Julian Voss-Andreae, Jeff Weitzel and Leon White.
Each year the museum also hosts an Outdoor Sculpture Invitational showcasing artists of the Northwest. The Maryhill Overlook is a site-specific
sculpture by noted Portland architect Brad Cloepfil; nearby are Lewis and Clark interpretive panels. Four miles east of Maryhill is a life-sized
replica of Stonehenge, Stonehenge Memorial, which Sam Hill built to memorialize local men who perished in World War I. Nearby, the Klickitat County
War Memorial honors those who have died in service of their country since World War I.
The museum was placed on the National Register of
Historic Places in 1974. In 2001 the museum was listed as an official site of the National Historic Lewis and Clark Trail and in 2002 was accredited
by the American Association of Museums.
VISITOR
INFORMATION:
Maryhill Museum of Art is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.,
March 15 to November 15. Admission is $7 for adults, $6 for seniors and $2 for children age 6-16. Admission to the Stonehenge Memorial is free; it is
open from 7:00 a.m. to dusk daily.
Sandwiches, salads, espresso drinks, cold beverages, and freshly
baked desserts and pastries are available at Café Maryhill; the Museum Store features art and history books, jewelry, Native American crafts and
other mementos.
Maryhill is located off Highway 97, 12 miles south of
Goldendale, Washington. Drive times to the museum are 2 hours from Portland/Vancouver, 3.5 hours from Bend, 4 hours from Seattle, and 1.5 hours from
Yakima. For further information, visit maryhillmuseum.org.
High-resolution images are available
for publication, click
here.
