Saturday, March 12, 2022

A day for the Local Arts...

12 March 2022

Huntington Beach State Park, Murrells Inlet, SC 

Marc-  The weather forecast had warned of severe thunderstorms and heavy winds, possibly up to 60 mph, as a front came through around 09:00.  There was also a concern for a tornado.  We were lucky to have only about 30 knot winds for about an hour and light rain.  We were showered with pinecones and small branches for about 30 minutes.  No harm done.

Our friend Peggy had suggested we visit the Brookgreen Gardens next to us during our stay.  This place is not an ordinary community flower garden.  Brookgreen is the creation of Archer and Anna Huntington who came to spend winters here beginning in the 1930s.  It is an incredible assembly of formal gardens and art galleries, as well as outdoor sculpture displays.  The Huntingtons also built the Atalaya Castle (based on a Spanish - moorish style castle home Archer had visited) as a winter retreat where Huntington State Park is now.  Anna Huntington is known as one of the finest American animal sculptors of the 20th century.  She  created life sized or larger equestrian monuments with American heroes in bronze and aluminum.  These can be found around the United States and the world.  Brookgreen Gardens became the first sculpture garden in America.  Anna and Archer collected and displayed works from other artists and helped many during the Great Depression.  

Anna Hyatt Huntington at work

The tools of a sculptor's trade








Horses in bronze


Anna created this amazing sculpture of her sister, Harriet.

Spring flowers abound in the gardens












One of many live oak trees in the Brookgreen Gardens








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