The Boston Globe featured our leadership retreat space Alnoba in an October article about its extensive collection of outdoor art installations. Writer James Sullivan details the “astonishing” array of pieces which Alan and Harriet Lewis have shared with visitors since soon after Alnoba opened in 2016.
Lewis says that many of the pieces on the 600-acre retreat emphasize social justice, indigenous culture, and environmental themes, reflecting his youth as a “Kennedy kid,” a child of the civil rights era. The collection includes works by land artist Patrick Dougherty, who wove branches and saplings from the property into the house-sized “Wildwood.” Other works include DeWitt Godfrey’s 20-foot-high “Up and Away,” and multiple pieces by Andrew Goldsworthy, perhaps the world’s most well-known land artist.
Lewis argues that the setting is every bit as important to the experience as the pieces; to see the art means getting out in nature and enjoying a meditative walk. “The stone walls, the trees, the blowdowns — they’re as beautiful as any art.” As he explained to the Globe, “Everything to me is art. Nothing is stronger than Mother Nature.”
Learn more about the collection at Alnoba.org.