I am starting out this blog with a the photo of the horse sculpture, because it was not until I heard about this particular piece of art, that I researched where it was located, so that I could see it in person. I learned that it was at Frederik Meijer Gardens ( www.meijergardens.org ), in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Therefore, when I found out that the Going on Faith travel trade conference ( goingonfaith.com ) was going to include a visit to Meijer Gardens, I set out to make sure I could attend!
Upon arrival at the gardens via motorcoach, I began a "walk with purpose" (as opposed to meadering!) to find the sculpture, and take as many photos of it as possible, while it was still daylight. As I started walking the paved path to approach the massive sculpture, I kept seeing numerous ways to photograph the horse from a distance, that showed it wonderfully framed by green plants. And this was no accident---allowing nature to enhance what man has made, and likewise, allowing what man has made enhance nature, is a major goal of Frederik Meijer Gardens!
Upon arriving at the circular plaza that was home to sculpture, I was completely in awe of its beauty, as well as its connection to the famous artist, Leonardo DaVinci. I had the wonderful blessing of seeing many of Leonardo DaVinci's creations, when I toured Italy with my father, back in the last century. However, at the time I was in Italy, it was before the 1967 finding of Leonardo's sketch books, and his design for a colossal image of an Iberian charger horse. 
When I use the word "colossal", I need to put something in the photo to illustrate that word, and hence the photo above shows the sculpture, with human beings beside it, so the viewer can put its massive size into perspective!
It took several models (some of which were complete failures) to finally come up with the sculpture one can see today in Grand Rapids. It was the Duke of Milan that originally commissioned Leonardo DaVinci to make the sculpture in 1482. It was intended to be the largest equestrian statue in the world, and be a symbol of the power of the Duke of Milan. The Duke collected 70 tons of bronze to make the statue, based on a clay model made by DaVinci. Sadly, wars broke out in Italy, and the bronze had to be used to make cannons, to defend Milan from an invasion by Charles VIII. The enemy French soldiers ended up using the clay horse sculpture that da Vinci had made, as a shooting target. Hence, none of daVinci's equine models survived to present day.It is a fascinating story, spanning over 500 years, behind the final product the visitor can now see in Frederik Meijer Gardens. The last statement on the plaque says that the Leonardo da Vinci horse design has become one of the great legends in the history of art.
Once I had accomplished my goal of seeing and photographing the American Horse statue, I joined up with other meeting attendees to ride the shuttle around the park, to see as many other sculptures as we could during our visit. Visitors are welcome to walk through the expansive park, but the shuttle is a wonderful service if your time or mobility is limited.
Meijer Gardens has 200 full-time and part-time staff, plus 850 volunteers! This photo shows the female volunteer (she is the one facing the passengers) who provided a narration for the shuttle I was on. She did a magnificent job pointing out the various sculptures we were passing, telling something about the artists who created them, as well as other significant facts of interest about each piece.
This photo is a reminder of one of the many reasons I want to make a return visit to Meijer Gardens. They recently embarked on $115 million capital campaign for expansion. The result will be new LEED-certified Welcome Center, Transportation Center and Visitor Center. Plans call for expanding the amphitheater, building a new entry plaza, adding a new outdoor picnic pavilion, and expanding the parking capacity.
The 8 acres of the Japanese gardens opened in 2014 at a cost of 22 million,
This photo is included to be a reminder of "garden etiquette", as outlined on the gardens website, www.meijergardens.org . The guidelines says guests ARE NOT to climb on the rocks, or wade in the water features!
This massive sculpture is called "Four Square", and its four main supporting beams, roughly in the shape of a square, account for its name.
Folks who have been to Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art ( www.crystalbridges.org ) may think this spider sculpture looks familiar. They would be correct, as this is by the same artist, Louise Bourgeois. Spiders are her iconic theme, and although a person with arachnophobia will probably cringe when they see these large critters, the artist actually did the series on spiders as a tribute to her mother! That is because her mother earned her living "weaving webs like spiders", as she repaired ancient tapestries! (The eggs in the lower portion emphasize the maternal symbolism of the sculpture.)
This is a photo of a very large parrot sculpture, with gigantic, colorful wings. It is the image of those wings, sitting on top of "my" heart, that I am using as the visual aid to remember my First Place 4 Health ( www.FirstPlace4Health.com ) memory verse that says, "May you be richly rewarded by the LORD, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge." Ruth 2:12 The actual name of this sculpture is "Large Parrot Screams Color". It was placed in 2007, and measures 144" x 82" x 65". In other words, it truly is large (as its name says), standing a full 12 feet high! The parrot sculpture was created by Jim Dine. Dine helped define the PopArt movement, which transformed the art world with the use of imagery from popular culture. The form of the heart has been a part of Dine's artistic vocabulary since the mid 1960's, and it has appeared prominently in his paintings, drawings, prints, and sculpture. 
I like the way the bright yellow in this contemporary piece of sculpture (called "Julia" by Keith Haring), is mirrored in the bright yellow of the flowering plants beside it. This was, in fact, one of the objectives of the Frederik Meijer Gardens---uniting human visual fine art with the visual beauty of nature!
When a visitor comes to the garden, they may want to just spend time, sitting with their arms resting on their knees, and contemplate their existence. And, that seems to be what this sculpture (titled Grosser Trefree, by Dietrick Klinge) is doing!
Other visitors to the garden, may just want to stretch out and look at the beautiful greenery that surrounds them. Although, it appears that this visitor is doing just that, this is actually a very realistic piece of sculpture! It is called Lying Man, by Sean Henry. 
Regardless of what language one speaks, the "body language" spoken by this sculpture accounts for its title---MAD MOM---and is a product of artist Tom Otterness. The mom might be commanding her children to NOT being throwing their baseballs near here, because LOOK AT WHAT IS BEHIND ME! All that glass you see is the 5-story, 15,000 square foot Lena Meijer Conservatory. It houses tropical plants from around the world, and connects to event spaces indoors.
This photo shows the the home of the 3-acre Michigan Farm Garden, opened in 2003, so families could experience a farm in the context of the 1930's. It replicates the farmhouse of Lena Rader Meijer's childhood. I read that Lena was the daughter of farmers, and met Fred Meijer, when she worked as a cashier in the Meijer grocery store. 
How would you like to be the employee in charge of dusting this incredibly fragile, and priceless, chandelier that hangs from the ceiling of the conservatory??!!
Glass art on a smaller scale (as well as a myriad of other delightful and artistically designed items) is available in the Meijer Gardens gift shop . 
The Meijer Gardens Amphitheater opened in 2003. It is an outdoor musical and theatrical venue that features a covered stage, and a tiered lawn, seating 1,900 persons. On the day I visited, concert goers had already started gathering for a group of "big-name" recording artists who were performing that evening. 
These motor coaches waited to pick up our group, as we finished our tour of Meijer Gardens, and the sun was setting in the west. Hopefully, this blog post has helped you understand why Meijer Gardens are such a popular group destination, as well as a fun place for all types of travelers to visit. Considering, the gardens have hosted more than 12 million visitors since they opened, it is safe to say that a trip to Meijer Gardens will give you "MILES OF SMILES"!! Tricia
