Image Credit: (Top left) Equality, 1970, Bronze, 48 x 24 x 22 inches, Collection of Newcomb Barger and Illia Barger; (Top Right) Twin Cusps, 1980, Cast Bronze, 21 ½ x 7 7/8 x 7 7/8 inches, Gift of Marvin L. and Victoria Lee Miller; Pendulum, 1980, Bronze, 20 ¼ x 8 ¼ x 7 7/8 inches, Gift of Marvin L. and Victoria Lee Miller; (Bottom Right) Warped Wheel, 1983, Bronze, 16 x 24 x 5 ½ inches, Collection of Newcomb Barger and Illia Barger; (Bottom Left) Scribes, 1981, Bronze, 20 x 12 x 9 ¾ inches, Gift of Marvin L. and Victoria Lee Miller.

On July 20th, the Michener Art Museum opened the first solo exhibition of Barger’s work entitled, The Poetry of Sculpture: Raymond Granville Barger (1906–2001). The installation includes objects from the Museum’s permanent collection along with works from private collections rarely available to the public, making this a must-see exhibition. Barger’s works from the 1930s provide insight into his early classical approach, while later sculptures signal his development as a symbolic abstractionist as well as a technical innovator. The Poetry of Sculpture features works both inside and outside the museum, encouraging visitors to explore the Michener’s sculpture gardens as well as its galleries.

Raymond Barger (1906-2001) believed that artists and sculptors should work hand in hand with architects and industrial leaders, shaping the contemporary scene. A graduate of the Carnegie Institute of Technology and Yale University School of Fine Arts, Barger moved to Carversville, Pennsylvania in 1966, where he and his wife, Lilias, had a significant impact on the region’s cultural landscape for many years.

While best-known for his monumental outdoor sculptures, including works for the 1964 New York World’s Fair, Barger also created smaller-scale, more intimate works for interior spaces. His Transition, a 25-foot long bronze sculpture originally commissioned for the J. C. Penny Headquarters Building in New York City in 1965, has graced the Museum’s entry courtyard since the year after the museum opened in 1988.

The Poetry of Sculpture: Raymond Granville Barger (1906–2001) is on display through October 20th. Make time in your schedule to come explore this amazing exhibit!