By Joanna Rieke, Correspondent
Published: Thursday, September 16, 2010 Encore Nashua Telegraph
Photo by Joanna Reike - Susan Abraham Photo by Joanna Reike - Gerard Motondi Photo by Joanna Reike - Esfandyar
chips away a block of stone. She is one of Kenya drills a block of stone for the Mordpour from Iran shows a model of
of the artists participating in 12th Annual 12 th Annual International Bridges and "House of Wish."
International Bridges and Connections Connections Symposium
Symposium.
Photo by Joanna Reike - Sculpture "Enjoying the Photo by Joanna Reike John Weidman (right) and Gopinath Subbanna guide
Stars" Sean Conroy on the bulldozer lifting a stone.
An international summit of sculptors has convened atop the wooded Andres Institute of Art to create outdoor sculptures
over the next three weeks for the 12th annual “International Bridges and Connections” Symposium.
“They come here with an open mind, leave their work and take what they experience back with them,” said John
Weidman, director of the Andres Institute.
Established in 1999, the symposium seeks to promote global understanding and encourages artists to share cultures
and exchange ideas through a common passion for sculpting.
“When it comes to art, there are no politics or cultural divides,” Weidman said. “Everyone is an individual. When they
come here, they are influenced by others and their surroundings. Nobody’s a foreigner when they leave.”
This year, the institute invited four artists with diverse backgrounds: Gerard Motondi, of Kisii, Kenya; Susan Abraham,
of New York City; Esfandyar Moradpour, of Naghadeh City, Iran; and Gopinath Subbanna, of Bangalore, India.
“The best way to broaden the perspective about art is to invite artists from around the world here,” Weidman said. “It’s
important for the public to have access to the arts in New England, and for Americans to learn more, we need to open it
up to the international community.”
Past artists include sculptors from five continents and more than 20 countries from Argentina to Afghanistan,
Switzerland to Japan, as well as the United States and Canada.
Each symposium revolves around a theme, and the focus for 2010 will be “A Place for Change.” Artists are provided
with ample time and materials to create, along with a small stipend for their attendance.
Once the works are complete, they’re installed in a location selected by the artists, joining the permanent collection on
the mountain.
The institute will unveil the finished works to the public during a closing ceremony at 3 p.m. Oct. 3.
The institute now exhibits more than 60 original works situated along 10 miles of hiking trails throughout the 140-acre
forested sculpture park.
One of the first and largest pieces in the park, “The Phoenix,” is 15 feet tall and weighs 11 tons.
“The symposium is like leaving a piece of your time,” Subbanna said.
Like most other artists at the institute, he has left several of his works across the globe.
“We have a short time,” Subbanna said, “but it’s rewarding to see evidence of your work and to share it with the rest of
the world.”
After traveling long distances to New Hampshire, the artists met with the local community for an opening reception at
Brookline Town Hall on Sept. 12. The next day, they selected materials from a nearby quarry and started working.
“When I am at home, I work alone in the studio,” Subbanna said. “But here, I have a chance to work with others, see
how they work, share what I know and learn from a new environment.”
Inside the large warehouse facility, the institute offers space to work in a variety of materials, from stone to glass, wood
to metal. Surrounding the studio, several outdoor tents were set up for artists to work.
Works often involve specialized technology for cutting, welding, splitting, grinding and polishing. Artists also have
access to an iron furnace to cast metal, as well as other heavy machinery needed to execute their vision.
Many artists come to the symposium with models of what they intend to build. Subbanna brought a brass orb, which will
serve as a centerpiece to his stone table and chairs installation.
Mordapour brought a mock version of his “House of Wish” sculpture, which he said will fuse interlocking discs to form a
constellation of stars from the Big Dipper.
Drawing topographic lines with chalk, Abraham also started carving away her work according to a mock piece she made
from marble.
“I want to make something organic out of two pieces,” she said. “I use a model and sketches, but ultimately, it will
emerge from the stone.”
The symposium offers a creative refuge for Abraham.
“I get to travel, work outside and have a whole section of time to devote to my work,” she said. “It’s an artist’s dream
come true.”
Despite tensions from globalization, Motondi hopes his sculpture, “Souls of Peace,” will spread a positive message
about unity symbolized by two figures embracing.
“To change the world for peace, we must have a good heart, and having a good heart starts with the soul,” he said.
Motondi was involved with creating a sculpture for the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, and has traveled to sculpt in Turkey,
South Korea and other countries.
“I feel good in New Hampshire,” he said of his first time to the States. “There is a small community here. In many ways, it’
s a lot like my village back home.”
While in residence, the artists stay with host families and share meals at the institute.
“It’s funny because the artists are working early in the morning until dark,” said Fe Thorp, a volunteer for the
symposium. “Sometimes we have to beg them to come eat.”
Volunteers help with grooming trails and preparing sites for sculptural installations. One is intern Sean Conroy, who
operates a bulldozer to lift a stone block and who’s studying sculpture as a graduate student.
“I’m up at 7 and it is hard work, but I don’t mind,” he said. “I’ve learned a lot.”
The institute started in 1996 after engineer Paul Andres purchased the abandoned Big Bear Mountain ski resort to live.
He commissioned sculptures by Weidman to be placed around his home.
After deciding to add art by other artists in 1998, along with Weidman, he cofounded the artists facility. As a nonprofit
organization, the institute relies on the support of volunteers and local businesses.
Open year round with free admission, the institute invites the public to explore hiking trails or take a guided tour.
“It’s rare to combine a cultural and active experience in one outing,” Weidman said. “We don’t manicure it too much. We
let nature interact with the work.”
Visitors are welcome to stop by and watch artists carve works in progress. Visitors are suggested to call ahead and
reserve a tour.
Trails range from easy to difficult. Volunteers collected interviews from artists, which are compiled in a self-guided audio
tour available for download online.
Maps are located at the trailhead behind the parking lot of Big Bear Lodge off Route 13.
The institute received artist meals donated by Donelan’s Supermarket, Val’s Pizza, The Mile Away and local families
Jodie Hollaway, Dennis Gallagher and others in Brookline.
It’s also supported by Milford’s Granite Co., Superior Steel Fabricators, Printing Co., and Richard and Cindy Ronzio,
along with Nashua’s Darold Rorabacher, Patricia Ahern, and Charlie and Meri Goyette of the Nashua Symposium
Committee.
Corporate sponsors include Nimco, the Brookline Police and Fire departments, Farwell Construction, Two Daves Auto,
State Line Convenience, Decco Manufacturing, TD Bank and Hydraulic Repair.
Published: Thursday, September 16, 2010 Encore Nashua Telegraph
Photo by Joanna Reike - Susan Abraham Photo by Joanna Reike - Gerard Motondi Photo by Joanna Reike - Esfandyar
chips away a block of stone. She is one of Kenya drills a block of stone for the Mordpour from Iran shows a model of
of the artists participating in 12th Annual 12 th Annual International Bridges and "House of Wish."
International Bridges and Connections Connections Symposium
Symposium.
Photo by Joanna Reike - Sculpture "Enjoying the Photo by Joanna Reike John Weidman (right) and Gopinath Subbanna guide
Stars" Sean Conroy on the bulldozer lifting a stone.
An international summit of sculptors has convened atop the wooded Andres Institute of Art to create outdoor sculptures
over the next three weeks for the 12th annual “International Bridges and Connections” Symposium.
“They come here with an open mind, leave their work and take what they experience back with them,” said John
Weidman, director of the Andres Institute.
Established in 1999, the symposium seeks to promote global understanding and encourages artists to share cultures
and exchange ideas through a common passion for sculpting.
“When it comes to art, there are no politics or cultural divides,” Weidman said. “Everyone is an individual. When they
come here, they are influenced by others and their surroundings. Nobody’s a foreigner when they leave.”
This year, the institute invited four artists with diverse backgrounds: Gerard Motondi, of Kisii, Kenya; Susan Abraham,
of New York City; Esfandyar Moradpour, of Naghadeh City, Iran; and Gopinath Subbanna, of Bangalore, India.
“The best way to broaden the perspective about art is to invite artists from around the world here,” Weidman said. “It’s
important for the public to have access to the arts in New England, and for Americans to learn more, we need to open it
up to the international community.”
Past artists include sculptors from five continents and more than 20 countries from Argentina to Afghanistan,
Switzerland to Japan, as well as the United States and Canada.
Each symposium revolves around a theme, and the focus for 2010 will be “A Place for Change.” Artists are provided
with ample time and materials to create, along with a small stipend for their attendance.
Once the works are complete, they’re installed in a location selected by the artists, joining the permanent collection on
the mountain.
The institute will unveil the finished works to the public during a closing ceremony at 3 p.m. Oct. 3.
The institute now exhibits more than 60 original works situated along 10 miles of hiking trails throughout the 140-acre
forested sculpture park.
One of the first and largest pieces in the park, “The Phoenix,” is 15 feet tall and weighs 11 tons.
“The symposium is like leaving a piece of your time,” Subbanna said.
Like most other artists at the institute, he has left several of his works across the globe.
“We have a short time,” Subbanna said, “but it’s rewarding to see evidence of your work and to share it with the rest of
the world.”
After traveling long distances to New Hampshire, the artists met with the local community for an opening reception at
Brookline Town Hall on Sept. 12. The next day, they selected materials from a nearby quarry and started working.
“When I am at home, I work alone in the studio,” Subbanna said. “But here, I have a chance to work with others, see
how they work, share what I know and learn from a new environment.”
Inside the large warehouse facility, the institute offers space to work in a variety of materials, from stone to glass, wood
to metal. Surrounding the studio, several outdoor tents were set up for artists to work.
Works often involve specialized technology for cutting, welding, splitting, grinding and polishing. Artists also have
access to an iron furnace to cast metal, as well as other heavy machinery needed to execute their vision.
Many artists come to the symposium with models of what they intend to build. Subbanna brought a brass orb, which will
serve as a centerpiece to his stone table and chairs installation.
Mordapour brought a mock version of his “House of Wish” sculpture, which he said will fuse interlocking discs to form a
constellation of stars from the Big Dipper.
Drawing topographic lines with chalk, Abraham also started carving away her work according to a mock piece she made
from marble.
“I want to make something organic out of two pieces,” she said. “I use a model and sketches, but ultimately, it will
emerge from the stone.”
The symposium offers a creative refuge for Abraham.
“I get to travel, work outside and have a whole section of time to devote to my work,” she said. “It’s an artist’s dream
come true.”
Despite tensions from globalization, Motondi hopes his sculpture, “Souls of Peace,” will spread a positive message
about unity symbolized by two figures embracing.
“To change the world for peace, we must have a good heart, and having a good heart starts with the soul,” he said.
Motondi was involved with creating a sculpture for the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, and has traveled to sculpt in Turkey,
South Korea and other countries.
“I feel good in New Hampshire,” he said of his first time to the States. “There is a small community here. In many ways, it’
s a lot like my village back home.”
While in residence, the artists stay with host families and share meals at the institute.
“It’s funny because the artists are working early in the morning until dark,” said Fe Thorp, a volunteer for the
symposium. “Sometimes we have to beg them to come eat.”
Volunteers help with grooming trails and preparing sites for sculptural installations. One is intern Sean Conroy, who
operates a bulldozer to lift a stone block and who’s studying sculpture as a graduate student.
“I’m up at 7 and it is hard work, but I don’t mind,” he said. “I’ve learned a lot.”
The institute started in 1996 after engineer Paul Andres purchased the abandoned Big Bear Mountain ski resort to live.
He commissioned sculptures by Weidman to be placed around his home.
After deciding to add art by other artists in 1998, along with Weidman, he cofounded the artists facility. As a nonprofit
organization, the institute relies on the support of volunteers and local businesses.
Open year round with free admission, the institute invites the public to explore hiking trails or take a guided tour.
“It’s rare to combine a cultural and active experience in one outing,” Weidman said. “We don’t manicure it too much. We
let nature interact with the work.”
Visitors are welcome to stop by and watch artists carve works in progress. Visitors are suggested to call ahead and
reserve a tour.
Trails range from easy to difficult. Volunteers collected interviews from artists, which are compiled in a self-guided audio
tour available for download online.
Maps are located at the trailhead behind the parking lot of Big Bear Lodge off Route 13.
The institute received artist meals donated by Donelan’s Supermarket, Val’s Pizza, The Mile Away and local families
Jodie Hollaway, Dennis Gallagher and others in Brookline.
It’s also supported by Milford’s Granite Co., Superior Steel Fabricators, Printing Co., and Richard and Cindy Ronzio,
along with Nashua’s Darold Rorabacher, Patricia Ahern, and Charlie and Meri Goyette of the Nashua Symposium
Committee.
Corporate sponsors include Nimco, the Brookline Police and Fire departments, Farwell Construction, Two Daves Auto,
State Line Convenience, Decco Manufacturing, TD Bank and Hydraulic Repair.
Annual symposium brings sculptors together