Contemporary Arts International Launches Major Show: John M. Weidman Retrospective - A Life in Sculpture

The Contemporary Arts International (CAI) is pleased to announce the opening of its new gallery show, John M. Weidman Retrospective – A Life of Sculpture, on Sunday, June 2, 2013. An opening reception will be held on that date from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. The show will run through August 21, 2013; visitors are welcome on a daily basis by appointment. CAI, a non-profit organization, is located at The Quarry, at 68 Quarry Road, Acton MA.

Sculpture has been a full-time life-long pursuit for Weidman, who recently turned 70. His works —in wood, steel and stone —are held in public and private collections throughout the world. The CAI exhibit will feature Weidman’s sculptures, sketches and paintings, including Shelter, a two feet tall piece made of Weathering steel.

Batu Siharulidze, associate professor at Boston University’s College of Fine Arts commented, “It is a rare occurrence to find an sculptor of such high caliber as John Weidman.  Coupled with his warmth of character and his unwavering modesty, New England is lucky to have such a great artist.”

About John M. Weidman

Weidman, an internationally known sculptor, is the co-founder and director of the Andres Institute of Art located in Brookline, New Hampshire. He is also the artistic director of the Bridges and Connections International Sculpture Symposium at the Andres Institutes, and the Nashua Footprints Series International Sculpture Symposium.

With an interest in geology, anatomy, and technology, Weidman creates abstract and naturalistic works. According to Weidman, “I choose the material for my work to suit the design and form of what I wish to convey, rather than be influenced by the shape and nature of any given material.” He continues, “My art tends to be ambiguous, and I don’t depend on the viewer to always see what I am presenting. Yes, sometimes we are in parallel, other times not. I anticipate that the viewer will take possession of my work, and experience the moment on their personal terms.”

Sometimes playful and other times serious, Weidman’s work is often about relationships. His 17 ton, 12 foot 8 inch tall granite sculpture, Relations, on view in the Giang Province in Vietnam where Weidman participated in an invitational international sculpture symposium in 2005, is a good example of this subject. According to Weidman, “This sculpture represents two different individuals facing one another. At one point ‘they’ become parallel, and together they constitute completeness.”

Weidman has participated in sculpture symposiums in locations throughout the globe, including India, Taiwan, the Czech Republic, and Ukraine, the birthplace of his wife Nadiya. Since 1998, along with co-founder Paul Andres, the couple has been devoted to the Andres Institute, which is located on the former New Hampshire ski area, Big Bear Mountain. This non-profit, funded in part by Andres, contributions, and proceeds from a nearby bingo hall, includes 72 large sculptures by selected professional artists from around the globe, along with miles of walking trails open to the public.  

Weidman’s Connection to CAI

In 1999, Weidman launched the first of the Bridges and Connections International Sculpture Symposia at the Andres Institute of Art. Each year, the invited artists work onsite and add new sculptures to the Sculpture Park. CAI Co-founder Yin Peet met sculptor Viktor Lois at the 2000 symposium. According to Peet, “Viktor and I met because of John. Now we have created our own art laboratory, the CAI.” She continued, “John’s lifelong dedication to non-commercial art is something that is so rare and is worthy of praise. I can see his substantial influence on other artists in this region.”

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Contemporary Arts International (CAI), a 501(c)(3) non-profit, is located at The Quarry, a 12.9-acre site in Acton. The mission of CAI is to promote sculpture and experimental interdisciplinary art in a global context through symposia, international artist-in-residency programs, performance events, and educational outreach.

The CAI Co-founders Yin Peet and Viktor Lois, originally from Taiwan and Hungary, respectively, both have extensive international experience and connections in the art world. Yin Peet is a sculptor and performance artist, who earned an MFA in sculpture from the Massachusetts College of Art and Design. Viktor Lois is a kinetic sculptor and sound artist whose work is displayed in the permanent collection of the Ludwig Museum of Contemporary Art in Budapest, Hungary, and an entire building in the Mine Museum (Tatabanya Museum, Hungary).

At the CAI, granite and kinetic sculptures are situated throughout The Quarry, as well as in the Red Box Building, which includes gallery space, a performance stage, and a classroom. Container Man, a large-scale kinetic musical sculpture, is located in the Red Box Building. Peet and Lois perform concerts on this remarkable sculpture.

Starting May 5, 2013 through the fall, the CAI will hold an open house from 1pm to 4pm every first Sunday of the month. The CAI’s New Art Archaelogy Symposium, held from August 4 - 25, 2013, will be open to the public everyday from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.

For more information, visit the CAI’s website.

Contemporary Arts International

68 Quarry Road

Acton MA 01720

Phone: 617-699-6401  

Email: info@contemporaryartsinternational.org