The project has been in development for two decades.
Calder Gardens has opened on the Ben Franklin Parkway. The gardens will be comprised of a nature retreat and a way to honor the work of artist Alexander “Sandy” Calder.
The $90 million project has spanned two decades. The gardens are built on city-owned land, and their construction has been funded by both private and public sources.
The gardens are expected to draw a significant number of tourists to the area, with some predicting 100,000 visitors in just the first year.
The Calder Foundation owns most of the art that will be featured on a rotating basis in the venue.
The project was first spoken of in the late 1990s by then-Mayor Ed Rendell and late philanthropist H.F. “Gerry” Lenfest, but the idea was abandoned.
The idea was revisited by philanthropist Joseph Neubauer, who was the single largest source of private money to the project.
The Calder Gardens are located near the Rodin, Barnes, and Philadelphia Museum of Art, creating an artistic hub in the city of Philadelphia.
“The PMA and the Rodin and the Barnes all have extremely strong collections, but nobody would say that for any of them, their strength is with a 20th-century artist,” said Marsha Perelman, president of the Trustees of Calder Gardens and a major art collector.
On the opening day at the gardens, a total of 37 works were in residence. The Calder was intentionally designed to have no permanent collection, with some pieces staying for some months, and others for a few years.
The outdoor gardens were designed by Dutch garden designer Piet Oudolf. They are free and open to the public during normal operating hours.
Over 250 varieties of plants are featured at the gardens.
Works at the museum are displayed without titles, dates, historical context, or labels providing interpretation. This leaves the experience “open to interpretation,” which is the tagline of Calder Gardens.
Calder Gardens is open from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. every day except for Tuesday. There is an entry fee for the museum, but the gardens are free for the public.
