Construction is underway for the new Edgar N. Putman Event Pavilion that will open next year. To prepare the space in the Pfundt Sculpture Garden, the first thing that had to be done was move all the sculptures to the rear of the garden for their protection. A fence was installed in front of all the works so that they do not get in the way of the contruction crew and also to avoid any damage to the sculptures.
Over a number of days, Harry Gordon, sculptor and installer, along with his crew, moved the sculptures using his special equipment, including a crane. Each sculpture was carefully connected to this crane and slowly moved to the rear of the garden. Gordon uses a remote control with his crane so that he can guide the sculptures slowly to their particular location. These sculptures can weigh thousands of pounds, so it is important that this process is done carefully and correctly. Lassie, being moved to its new location. You can find Lassie now at the Bucks County Free Library.
The next stage of preparing the space in the sculpture garden included removing the trees and bushes, slate, boulders, and rocks, which are being taken care of this week. Early in this process, a protective wall was installed near the terrace with a glass door so that visitors can see the progress being made in the space.
On Friday, March 18th, the Michener held a special groundbreaking event for the Pavilion. During this event, Jeffrey A. Miller Catering Company was announced as the exclusive caterer for the Pavilion. With this new event space, the Museum hopes to offer its visitors custom programming such as Jazz nights and lectures, along with being a premier space for rentals.
Stay tuned for more information as construction for the Event Pavilion progresses!