New Sculpture at Laurelwood Arboretum

A Sculpture Trail at Laurelwood Arboretum has a striking new addition—Butterflies and Flowers, a stainless-steel sculpture by artist Babbett Bloch. Now on view at site #2 along the west side of Laurel Pond, this piece joins Bloch’s Tulipula at site #5, offering visitors another opportunity to experience her artistry within the natural beauty of the arboretum. Laurelwood Arboretum is located at 725 Pines Lake Drive West in Wayne, New Jersey.

“Butterflies and Flowers is a sculptural celebration of nature’s delicate balance and a call to action,” said Bloch. “Through this work, I emphasize the vital importance of protecting our ecosystems—not only for their beauty, but because they are essential to our very survival."

Bloch is a pioneer in the use of laser-cut and water-jet stainless steel to create evocative works of art, ranging in scale from tabletop to monumental. Her sculptures explore form and the interplay between object and light, reflect their environments, and expand the ways in which stainless steel is used in contemporary art. Her floral and wildlife sculptures are on view in museums and private collections in the United States and Europe.

Bloch received both classical and modern training at the University of California and studied with legendary artists Wayne Thiebaud, Robert Arneson, and Manuel Neri. She divides her creative time between site-specific one-of-a-kind public artworks and limited-edition pieces, both wall-hung and in-the-round. Her work is represented at galleries and permanent museum collections in the United States and Europe.

A Sculpture Trail, a multiyear project that showcases 15 unique works of art, is sponsored by Friends of Laurelwood Arboretum. A Sculpture Trail is curated by Scott A. Broadfoot of the Broadfoot & Broadfoot gallery in Boonton, New Jersey. All sculptures in A Sculpture Trail are available for purchase, with a percentage of the proceeds donated to the Friends organization to be applied towards capital improvements.

Friends of Laurelwood Arboretum is a non-profit conservancy whose mission is to preserve and manage the 30-acre arboretum in partnership with Wayne Township. For additional information about A Sculpture Trail or the Friends organization, go to www.laurelwoodarboretum.org.