Grounds for Sculpture’s current exhibition celebrates the depth and diversity of the museum’s permanent collection with 29 original sculptures on display by two dozen artists. This is a chance for visitors to explore newly acquired sculptures and treasures long tucked away in the GFS collection, hence the title Opening the Vault: A Look Inside the GFS Collection.
Layo Bright, 9:29. May 25, 2020. George Floyd Murder #147, 2025, glass, wood and sand, 62 x 40 x 16 in.
“Part of what makes Opening the Vault special is who helped bring it to life,” says Faith McClellan, director of exhibitions and collections at GFS. “It was curated collaboratively by 10 staff members across four different departments, opening the door for voices beyond traditional curatorial circles. Inspired by groundbreaking initiatives at the Baltimore Museum of Art and the Phoenix Art Museum, the exhibition embodies GFS’ commitment to inclusivity, collaboration and shared creativity.”
Key pieces in the exhibition include Ray Kaskey’s Justice and Layo Bright’s 9:29. May 25, 2020. George Floyd Murder #147,the former grounded in realism and the latter a more abstract piece.
Steve Tobin, Homage a Femme, 1994, bronze and glass, 27 x 15 x 9 in. © Artist or Artist’s Estate.
“They are positioned next to each other [in the exhibition] to contrast the use of faces,” McClellan explains. “Staff were interested in what questions both may raise, as neither depicts a specific individual…Ray Kaskey’s Justice is a second casting of a piece originally commissioned for the U.S. Courthouse in New York, depicting the figure of Justice, a common symbol of the courts. Layo Bright’s 9:29. May 25, 2020. George Floyd Murder #147 confronts the violence and lasting impact of George Floyd’s murder in 2020, with the sand in the hourglass measuring the duration of Floyd’s final seconds. The work grounds itself in tragedy, while also speaking to resilience and continuity.”
McClellan continues, “The portrait in Bright’s hourglass is not George Floyd himself, but rather a symbolic witness to the past, present and future, and Justiceis a personification of the moral force in the judicial system. We hope to invite guests to consider what justice means and give them the opportunity to reflect on the work and connections they can find in other areas of the exhibition.”
Ray Kaskey, Justice, 1996, bronze, 35 x 24 x 24 in. Photo by Roshni Khatri.
Other contemporary highlights to explore include Steve Tobin’s bronze Homage a Femme; Helena Lukasova’s I am the Venus made from Carrara marble; and Willie Cole’s Pretty in Pink, featuring an array of materials like shoes, wood, metal pipe, screws and staples.
Opening the Vaultwas curated by a variety of Grounds for Sculpture staff including the guest services, education and marketing departments, with guidance from the curatorial team. It remains on view through the end of the year. —
Willie Cole, Pretty in Pink, 2005-6, shoes, wood, metal pipe, screws, staples, 19 in. (depth), 70 in. (diameter). © Artist or Artist’s Estate. Photo by Ken Ek.
Opening the Vault: A Look Inside the GFS Collection
Through December 31, 2026Grounds for Sculpture
80 Sculptors Way, Hamilton, NJ 08619
(609) 586-0616, www.groundsforsculpture.org
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