Building of Stickwork Sculpture to Begin at The Wild Center

Patrick Dougherty creating one-of-a-kind piece on-site

The Wild Center is welcoming stick sculpture artist Patrick Dougherty to its campus this August. Over the course of three weeks, Dougherty will bend, weave, snag and flex locally sourced saplings to create a larger-than-life sculpture inspired by The Wild Center, located near Wild Walk. The twisted creation will be completed and opened to the public by Aug. 21, when guests can immerse themselves in the art, walking through the elaborate sculpture.

The process begins by harvesting local maple and beech sticks and branches. Saplings are then stripped and intricately woven together on-site at The Wild Center. Volunteers are welcome to assist with the project by contacting Leanne Favreau via email at lfavreau@wildcenter.org or calling (518) 359-7800 extension 143. Visitors are encouraged to watch the creation of Stickwork on campus from Aug. 5-20 or virtually with a live feed available at wildcenter.org/livecams. Inspired visitors will have the opportunity to create their own Stickwork sculpture by weaving available saplings together in the Pines Play Area.

Seamlessly intertwining art with nature and landscape, experiencing the Stickwork sculpture will be included with regular admission. Once assembled, the structure will last several years, naturally deteriorating over time.

“We are honored to welcome internationally acclaimed artist, Patrick Dougherty to build a one-of-a-kind sculpture on our campus,” said Hillarie Logan-Dechene, Deputy Director of The Wild Center. “We can’t wait to watch Dougherty’s artistic process and passion for nature evolve right before our eyes – and welcome the public to tune in as well.”

A timeline of the work is as follows:

Aug. 2-4: Harvesting saplings
Aug. 5-13: Construction, viewing available on-site and virtually
Aug. 16-20: Finalizing construction
Aug. 21: Stickwork sculpture open to public

Alnoba, Shape of Enchantment – an example of a Stickwork sculpture

Founder of Stickwork and architect of the sculptures, Dougherty has been creating these unique works of art for the past 35 years, combining his carpentry skills with his love of nature. His first work, Maple Body Wrap, was included in the North Carolina Biennial Artists’ Exhibition in 1982 sponsored by the North Carolina Museum of Art. The following year, he had his first one-person show entitled, Waitin’ It Out in Maple at the Southeastern Center for Contemporary Art in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.

Dougherty’s work quickly evolved from single pieces on conventional pedestals to monumental scale environmental works, which required saplings by the truckloads. He has since built over 300 Stickwork sculptures worldwide – from Scotland to Japan to Brussels, and all over the United States. In addition to his international recognition, Dougherty has received numerous awards for his artwork.

The Wild Center’s indoor and outdoor exhibits are open seven days a week from 10am to 5pm, with required timed reservations. For more information on visiting The Wild Center, visit: www.wildcenter.org/visit/.

The Wild Center invites visitors to discover the story of the Adirondacks, and to explore new ways that people and nature can thrive in the same place. Located in Tupper Lake, NY the center uses science-based experiences, exhibits and program to open new ways to look into the relationship that people have with nature and to promote environmental best practices. A 54,000-square-foot facility, The Wild Center features indoor and outdoor space, live animals, hands-on experiences, and its popular Wild Walk, an elevated trail across the Adirondack treetops. The Center is open 7 days a week from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Visit wildcenter.org to learn more.