Date Of Visit: July 3, 2020
Location: Frank Newhall Memorial Look Park, 300 North Main Street, Florence (Northampton), MA (half an hour northwest of Springfield, MA, and 2 hours west of Boston, MA)
Hours:
Cost:
Passenger Vehicle
$10
Buss, Van and Concert Parking
$15
Bracelets and Season Passes are also available. Click on the link below for more pricing info
Hours:
Monday-Friday
9am-4pm
Open weekends as well as some holidays such as Labor Day & Columbus Day
9am-5pm
There is a vehicle entry fee. However, cyclists and walkers can access the park for free. Also, those with a military ID or handicap placard can enter the park at no cost.
Universally Accessible: Yes
Dog Friendly: Yes
Summary: 4 tree sculptures sculpted by Harold Grinspoon have been donated to Look Park in Florence, MA, a village in Northampton. Grinspoon and his team of artists, who operate out of nearby Agawam, MA, carved the sculptures.
Look Park has always been known for the trees that tower above the visitors who come to cycle, jog or play at the 150 acre park, But, there are a few unique trees there this summer.
If you want to avoid walking far at the park, the trees, which the park politely asks you not climb (wish I had known this beforehand), can all be found within a half mile distance and three of them (Entwined, Windows and The Beauty Of Nature) are clustered near each other. The only sculpture which is located only a little farther away from the first three is “Chroma Quartet.” Or, you can walk the entire loop (about a mile) and see them all while taking in the beauty of Look Park.
Four carved trees, carved and donated by Longmeadow resident and philanthropist Harold Grinspoon, are meant to bring some additional beauty to the park which is an especially welcome addition to the park during these times. They will be on display at the park for two years.
The first sculpture titled “The Beauty Of Nature”, which was sculpted in 2014, was made out of a cherry tree that stood behind Grinspoon’s home in Longmeadow, MA. The tree was already dead but remained standing. Grinspoon thought it was too pretty to cut down. So, he repurposed it as a work of art.
The title of the work of art reflects Grinspoon’s belief in the ever changing possibility of nature reinventing itself. The tree, which is part of his private SculptureNow collection, has also been displayed at The Mount in Lenox, MA.
This sculpture can be seen as you enter the park is located just past the main entrance.
The second sculpture, “Windows”, can be found a short distance from “The Beauty Of Nature.”
Created in 2017 as part of Grinspoon’s natural series, “Windows” is composed of one reclaimed branch of a live oak tree. The one long branch was quartered, separated and rearranged. Grinspoon derived the name from the shapes and views you can see by walking around the sculpture and looking through the different frames of the sculpture.
“Chroma Quartet”, which was reclaimed from a live oak tree, can be found along the way to the children’s play area and, fittingly, the music venue. It is named for its lively painted design and structural quality the artist felt evoked music. The sculpture is meant to look as though it is vibrating with the pulses of background sounds.
“Entwined”, which was sculpted in 2017 from a reclaimed live oak branch, can be found by the tennis courts and main parking lot by the main entrance.
The branch that was made into “Entwined” was cut in half lengthwise. The twisted form of the sculpture created the overlapping design.
This sculpture was previously exhibited on the front lawn of the Agawam Corporate Center in Agawam, MA, for two years in a natural finish before Grinspoon decided to paint it before it was installed at Look Park.
Look Park also has a wildlife sanctuary, fields to play in as well as a train that may be in operation soon! So, pack up the kids or dog and take a trip to Look Park and take in these beautiful sculptures!
New England Nomad 