The Wildflower Sculpture Park was established in 2012 as a program of the South Mountain Conservancy in collaboration with the Essex County Department of Parks and Cultural Affairs. Established and led for a decade by Tricia Zimic, it was then curated by Lisa Sanders, and, starting in 2023, by Doris Cacoilo.
The sculpture park’s mission is to create meaningful arts and education experiences with and for the community through the installation, exhibition, and interpretation of public art, primarily sculpture. Year-round exhibitions of contemporary works of art sited in the natural environment are presented and added to on a rotating basis. In addition, educational programs for adults and children are offered in conjunction with the exhibits.
The Wildflower Sculpture Park is located in the South Mountain Reservation in Essex County, NJ, approximately 20 miles west of New York City. It is open daily from sunrise to sunset. Visitors should use the South Orange Avenue entrance to the reservation’s Crest Drive. There is adequate free parking in the lot adjacent to the Wildflower and Forest Preserve and the Dog Park (GPS location: 11 Bear Lane, Maplewood, NJ). Most of the exhibits are accessible by wheelchair.
Over several months, ten artists met regularly with sculpture Park curator Doris Cand worked to develop new, site-responsive projects exploring roots, rhizomes, and interconnected systems of life. Drawing on the ecological networks of the South Mountain Reservation, the resulting works engage themes of community, history, ancestry, resilience, symbiosis, and environmental stewardship — activating the landscape through sculptural installation. DUE TO RECURRENT RAIN EVENTS, THE OPENING HAS MOVED TO OCTOBER 25TH.
Exhibit photos are HERE.
A map of the exhibit locations can be downloaded HERE.
Participating artists and works include:
Anonda Bell — Mycenae
Corrine Carr — Networks of Life
Christine DaCruz — See the Forest Through the Trees
Kate Eggleston — Bear Trap
Samar Hussaini — The Land Lives Within Us
HAMEWS — Grief Circus
Karen Leo — Loose Leaf
Alessandra Puglisi — Molt
Jimena Vega — Cuerpo – Tierra (Body – Earth)
Willa Vucetaj — Ema for Our Roots
Projects will be on exhibition from September until November 2026. The Wildflower and Forest Preserve is a 14-acre enclosure constructed in 2008 as part of the South Mountain Conservancy’s and Essex County’s initiative to restore the understory and ecology of the forest. In addition to its role in forest regeneration, the Preserve serves as a destination to educate and engage people of all ages. With a simple trail system, preservation and stewardship programs, and artwork from the Wildflower Sculpture Park, the Preserve is a special destination in the park. Please contact us with any questions or for more information at sculpturepark@somocon.org
The precursor to this program is curator Doris Caçoilo’s Wonder Women residency, which has been running for over 15 years. The Wonder Women mission is to engage local artists who are eager r to participate in a collective dialogue about art, social change and environmental stewardsh. Special thanks to the team at Form Design Studio at Express Newark, Rutgers University for collaboration on the exhibition signs.
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The South Mountain Conservancy is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) corporation and all contributions are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law. Please consider making a gift to the Wildflower Sculpture Park.
2024-2025 Exhibits
Wendell Jeffrey, Roly-Poly, 2024
Gabion cages, rebar, cement, wood, rocks, leaves, moss, newspaper, twine, plastic, aluminum foil
Common Names: Pillbug, Roly-Poly, Woodlouse
Scientific Name: Armadillidium vulgare (Latreille) (Malacostraca: Isopoda: Armadillidiidae)
Artist’s Statement:
My fascination with the natural world began in early childhood. I vividly recall digging full fisted in the dirt behind our barn, where the scent of moist soil and the thrill of discovering tiny creatures beneath dead leaves and sticks captivated me. Many afternoons were spent rolling these small beings into little balls and waiting with anticipation for them to unfurl.
Pill bugs, or roly-polies, are gentle and harmless, often serving as a child’s first introduction to nature. These creatures, along with other woodlice, play a crucial role in garden ecosystems by helping to decompose and recycle dead plant matter. They primarily consume decaying leaves and wood fibers. This diet not only sustains them but also helps slow down the decomposition of litter, aiding in the retention of organic material in the soil and maintaining a balance in the soil’s carbon content.
As detritivores, pill bugs significantly contribute to their ecosystems by consuming dead organic matter. The Roly-Poly stands as a tribute to these remarkable creatures and all those who help break down dead wood.
Eileen Ferara, On the Fence….Scarlet Bloom, 2024
Repurposed and painted lath wood 1 in x 1/2 in of varying lengths, paper casts, copper and/or aluminum sheeting, cut, bent and attached to the wood, handmade paper, beeswax, pulp dye/pigment, cable ties, wire, ground stakes
Artist’s Statement:
“On the Fence….Scarlet Bloom” is a site-specific installation which reflects on the health of the South Mountain Reservation flora. Inspired by various species in the forest, the work is a meditation on time, regeneration and impermanence.
This artwork is created using a variety of materials including repurposed painted wood lathe, copper and handmade paper that was cast from a nearby rock at the location. The piece is intended to transform over time as the different elements are exposed to the weather.
Instagram: @eileenferarastudio
Twitter: @EileenFerara
www.eileenferara.com
Amanda Thackray, Drizzle (Seeded Rainstorm Trail), 2024
Recycled cotton paper, native wildflower seed mix, cotton twine
Artist’s Statement:
Thick blue twine traces a series of lines between trees throughout the forest. Sculptural paper raindrops studded with native wildflower seeds hang just out of reach below the tree canopy. A rainstorm punctuates the trail of the sculpture park. As the wind, rain, dew, and animal interaction erode the handmade paper raindrops, the embedded wildflower seeds will drop to the ground below and germinate below the drops. As the raindrops disappear, they are transformed into wildflower paths, a living echo of the rainstorm for seasons to come.
This work speaks to the interweaving paths between humans and nature, our effects on the natural world, and our attempts to reclaim and rewild. I am excited for this installation to become a part of the regenerative work of South Mountain Conservancy. When completed, the artwork – bright, angular, and intentionally human – will drop its seeds but remain as an armature of the seeding apparatus that once was.
2023 Exhibits
Lee Williams’ several pieces entitled “Infinite Delicacies,” part of our permanent collection, are visible both along Bear Lane and further into the woods. Starting at the old stump by the entrance to the parking area, the pieces continue 70 yards down Crest Trail (immediately across the parking lot in a northerly direction). There you will find, on often overlooked old fallen trees, colorful wooden elements interacting with the decaying wood in a vibrant celebration of nature.
Sarah Peters’ sculpture, the Botanical Fainting Couch, installed in the park until late 2024, is our first piece that is interactive. Guests are welcome to sit or sprawl (but please do not stand!) on the couch and touch the many different plant textures that animate the surface. The couch utilizes the alphabet letters as the base on which she has embossed textures of 26 different plants. Each plant represented corresponds to a letter of the alphabet. See if you can identify them all! Sarah will have a fun activity available that all are welcome to participate in. REMOVED 2026
“Envoi” by John Clement
Permanent Collection
“Harder to Reflect” Kate Dodd
“Catamount” Wendy Klemperer
“South Mountain Bird Tower” Ben Pranger
“Soothsayer” Asha Ganpat
“Crossing the Line” Tricia Zimic
“Lear” Lisa Sanders
“Spontaneous Generation” Elaine Lorenz
“Almost” Lisa Sanders
“Sun Flower” Willie Cole
“Wave” Alan Baker
“Essex Column” Eric Beckerich
“Spring” Dan Dennison
“Restore” Donna Conklin King
“Polypore” Oki Fukunaga
“Fantastical Garden” Dan Fenelon
“Spore” Oki Fukunaga
Prior Exhibits
Prior season exhibits can be found on these pages.