July 19, 2023

Life-Sized Johnson Sculptures Now Throughout Hopewell Valley

“KEEP LIFE IN BALANCE”: This life-sized sculpture by the late Seward Johnson is installed at the Timberlane Middle School / Hopewell Valley Central High School campus as part of the six-month exhibition “Seward Johnson: Celebrating the Everyday.”

Ten life-sized Seward Johnson sculptures have cropped up throughout Hopewell Valley, thanks to an ambitious public art project organized by the Hopewell Valley Arts Council in collaboration with the Johnson Atelier. This six-month exhibition, “Seward Johnson: Celebrating the Everyday,” pays homage to the renowned late artist, who proudly called Hopewell his home.

Strategically placed in prominent locations across Hopewell Township, Hopewell Borough, Pennington, and Titusville, these sculptures are compelling landmarks, with one adorning each school campus within the Hopewell Valley Regional School District.

“I drive by the sculpture at Brick Farm Market with the beautiful girl that is so happy in life, and it makes my day!” shared one Hopewell Borough resident.

In upcoming months, celebrations will include pop-up activities for each sculpture, three art exhibitions, a photo contest, two “take home” projects, an online Explorer’s Guide, a downloadable driving map, and more.

One of the highlights of the project is an upcoming art exhibition at Gallery 14 in Hopewell Borough, aptly named “Radius 14: Celebrating Our Local Artists.” This exhibition will showcase artwork by talented artists residing within a 14-mile radius of Hopewell Valley. The show will open with a reception on Thursday, August 10 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. and run select days and times between August 10 and August 20.

The project was made possible thanks to generous contributions from the community and supplemented with a donation from Elaine J. Wold, in honor of her brother Seward Johnson.

For more information, visit hvartscouncil.org/sewardjohnson.