Whenever lists of the 100 best places to live are compiled, access to cultural institutions is always included among the criteria for ranking. Nashua, New Hampshire always ranks high in such lists for a number of factors. In the area of cultural resources, residents of the greater Nashua area are fortunate to be not far from celebrated art museums in Manchester and Hanover. But there is another art collection much closer than the museums in those two cities.

The Andres Institute of Art was founded in 1996 by local benefactor Paul Andres and well-known artist John Weidman. Its collection of 65 metal and stone sculptures are distributed over 140 acres on Bear Mountain in Brookline NH. Sculpture parks are always welcoming viewing art in a natural setting and as the seasons change always brings added dimensions to the art-going experience. At the Andres Institute the artworks are found in a variety of garden and forested situations; they are spread over miles of hiking trails on the hillside. This sculpture park is unique, as each sculptor chooses what natural setting on the mountain will showcase his/her creation best. Admission to the grounds, open year-round, is free, as are the downloadable audio tours and the trail maps.

Every fall, the Institute invites a select number of artists from around the world to come to their studio to create works for their collection. The 13th Annual International Sculpture Symposium is running through October 2nd, featuring four celebrated sculptors: Alexandra Harley from the United Kingdom, Jon Barlow Hudson from Ohio, Hassan Kamel from Egypt and Gricelda Lopez from Chile. The theme for this years creations is: Whats in Your Heart? During this time, the public is invited to view the artists while they work, interact with them, join guided tours of the collection, and attend the unveiling of the newest artworks on October 2nd.

For more information about the Andres Institute and the 13th Annual Symposium going on now, visit the Institutes website:

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