The Mission of the Sculpture Program

The South Carolina Botanical Garden Nature-based Sculpture Program Mission, Goals and Objectives.

The South Carolina Botanical Garden Nature-based Sculpture Program is administered through the Botanical Garden's Cultural Programs and is produced in partnership with Clemson University's Landscape Architecture program. The mission of this public art program is four-fold.

Part 1 of the Mission

Part 2 of the Mission
The second facet of the mission is to:
1) allow Nature-oriented sculptors opportunity to team teach a three hour credit interdisciplinary course, Incorporating Site-specific Artwork into the Landscape (LARCH 421, Section 01), with Associate Professor Frances Chamberlain

.2) make this academic course available to all academic disciplines and majors

3) allow students with diverse backgrounds to work and communicate together and with artists of national/international acclaim

4) to encourage student exploration of various media for documentation (drawing, painting, photography, videography, journaling, etc.)

5) allow students to assist in constructing a site-specific, Nature-based artwork under a deadline with real-world, real-time goals and objectives

6) broaden the student's awareness of and understanding of site-specific artwork in the public realm

7) to enhance student appreciation of working sensitively and responsibly within the landscape

8) and to give the students a rare opportunity to experience real-world, real-time experiential problem solving challenges while enhancing awareness of nature, landscape and environmental ethics.

The artist's teaching responsibilities include classroom as well as field assignments. In the classroom, the artist presents slide lectures of their personal view of the history and development of the Nature-based sculpture movement; the evolution of their own work in this dynamic, and address questions and concerns about present and future connections between humans, art, landscape and the environment. The field assignment focuses around the artist's selected, sculpture site in the Botanical Garden. On site, the artist, assisted by Professor Chamberlain, will guide the students through the practical, artistic and experiential aspects of site preparation; locating and gathering natural materials; construction of the artifact; and documentation of the site selection, design and building processes. The exact role of each student's participation depends on academic background and personal interests. The students are expected to work intensely during the designated class time, weekdays after hours and on weekends.

go to Part 3 of the Mission