An unveiling ceremony was held on Friday, October 23rd, to introduce the latest addition to our sculpture garden — “Rocky Mountain High” — donated by local artist Eleen Auvil. The afternoon event also recognized the generous contribution of time and talent by our tireless garden volunteers: Nance Hoeft, Diane Korellis, Denny Hoeft, Jeffrey Houseman, with donations from Carmel Cares. Special thanks to Rick Richardson, Valley Hills Nursery, Carmel Valley, for donating native plants and soil for the Cherry’s grounds.

About the Artist: “Eleen Auvil began her career in the 1960’s where she explored a variety of media including painting, drawing and printmaking before devoting herself to sculpture. As a sculptor she has maintained an unwavering commitment to traditional building methods, working primarily in metals and stone, but also utilizing an array of other materials, including wire mesh, Japanese handmade paper and bronze.  Auvil’s work is further characterized by the artist’s reliance on her own hand to create her sculptures, and by her insistence on mastering her materials and dexterously translating this understanding to individual works. Throughout Auvil’s life, a passion for diverse cultures and histories has led her to travel, study and work throughout the United States and the world. These explorations have permitted her to observe the material cultures of many from a range of areas, as well as skills and trades employed there, and to make connections among disparate cultural traditions. As a result, Auvil’s work is quiet but deliberately associative, encompassing her wide-reaching cultural and intellectual experiences and drawing on a varied reserve of images and ideas and information. The resulting works are often poetic, serene, humorous and sometimes transcendent.”  ~ Robert Reese, Executive Director