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W
hen Seth Hurwitz became operator
of Merriweather Post Pavilion in
2004, his primary goal was to bring
the best in musical entertainment to the much-
loved amphitheater. But he also envisioned the
property as the perfect spot for a sculpture park.
Hurwitz, chairman of Bethesda-based concert
promoter I.M.P., liked the idea of mingling music
and art, which 10 years later is – coincidentally
(or perhaps due to Hurwitz’s clairvoyance) – a
cornerstone of the redesign of SymphonyWoods.
In the intervening decade, Hurwitz has added an
impressive art collection for visitors’ enjoyment.
One of the more prominent artists with work on
display isWashington, D.C.-based Robert Cole,
who died in 2013. Cole, an internationally recognized
sculptor, hammered metal into his desired shapes,
and then welded the pieces and ground the seams.
Although he often started with an organic human
form, his figures are often abstract or exaggerated.
His 16-foot stainless steel female figure, “Mother of
Peace,” on the west side of the property, was created
for the 2003 International Art Fair in Florence, Italy,
and was awarded the Lorenzo de Medici Gold Medal.
Cole’s abstract sculpture “DNA-Tor” was
built in Miami, FL for an exhibit at the Macay
Museum in Merida, Mexico and is a modern
rendition of a Mayan-influenced serpent. His large
male figure, “Potension,” formerly located on the
south side of Merriweather, showed the potential
of movement and the tension that exits just before
movement occurs. Merriweather was fortunate
to be home to these displays for a few years, and
now they are showcased at other locations.
Another popular sculpture was the award-winning
“Great KeyWest Chicken,” a 7,500-pound, 15-
foot bird constructed from old farm equipment.
Designed by Maryland artist Derek Arnold,
the bird is fitted with a dashboard, a seat, and
hydraulic controls to move left and right. Even
the beak opens and closes. This unique sculpture
was so popular it was purchased to reside at a
private home in Martha’sVineyard. In place of
the Chicken, Arnold’s bird “High on a Perch”
overlooks the Merriweather property.
The most colorful work of art is Chas Colbourn’s
BY CAROL MARR I ON
PHOTOGRAPHS BY KENNETH LOSURDO, JR.
Shapes
and
Sounds
Merriweather Post mingles music and art
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HOWARD COUNTY OFFICIAL VISITORS + RESIDENTS GUIDE | 2016