Naples Botanical Garden has opened its 2020-21 season, Roots: Power of the Unseen, with an ambitious 11-month exhibition of artist Steve Tobin’s
acclaimed “Roots” sculptures. The steel and bronze works featured in Steve Tobin: Nature Underground pay homage to the wonderfully complex world that lies beneath the soil.
Alternating between intricate replicas and streamlined renderings, Tobin’s sculptures challenge viewers to consider the outsized role roots play in sustaining all life on Earth. The works seem to dance in their spaces, spiraling upward to create elegant forms as well as ever-changing
shadows.
Guests will discover them throughout the Garden — simultaneously rising out of the landscape and blending into it with perfect harmony. Tobin says the pieces are experiential; they are meant to be walked through, interacted with, and explored from all angles.
“Because they’re so open, these pieces activate the space between the viewer, the sculptures and beyond,” he says.
Contemporary sculptor Steve Tobin’s vast repertoire includes works in glass, clay, bronze, and steel. He explores natural forms and cites nature as his earliest influence, one that continues to inform his work. His creations have been shown internationally at such venues as the American Museum of Natural History; the Page Museum/La Brea Tar Pits and Los Angeles County Museum of Natural History; Carpe Diem Gallery in Paris; Retretti Art Center, Finland; Gallery 10, New York City; and Moore College of Art and Design, Philadelphia. The sculptor is renowned for his “Trinity Root” sculpture cast from the stump and roots of a large sycamore tree that shielded St. Paul’s Church from the collapsing Twin Towers during the 9/11 attacks.
The exhibition runs now through Sept. 6, 2021. It is free for members and included in Garden admission.
The Garden will offer a free audio tour to accompany the exhibit, as well as programming that celebrates plants, changes the way people look at trees and nature, and inspires visitors to care for and appreciate the natural world.
Naples Botanical Garden is a 170-acre, world-class garden paradise that features plants from around the world. The garden provides arts, culture, youth and adult education, conservation, wellness, and volunteer programs that contribute to the quality of life in Southwest Florida onsite and online at www.naplesgarden.org. The garden’s living collections are always growing and evolving, leaving audiences with a deeper engagement with our curated gardens and preserve. Hours of operation are 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. with timed tickets required, final tickets at noon every day, with Fogg Café opening at 9 a.m. Timed entry tickets must be purchased in advance at www.naplesgarden.org. Regular admission is $20 for adults, $10 for children (4–14); Members and children 3 and under get in free.
