There are more than 200 species of birds that visit the grounds of the di Rosa Center for Contemporary Art in Napa. And soon, nature lovers will have a new secret spot to peep them all: a gigantic sculpture that winds through the landscape and includes a hidey-hole specially for birdwatching.
For those who’ve never chanced out to di Rosa, it’s an arts complex in the Carneros wine-growing region with two indoor galleries and 217 acres given over to outdoor art. Think an office filing cabinet by Samuel Yates that rises seven stories high, a herd of hands poking up from the earth, or a motorized angel helicoptering in the air. These pieces are being joined right now by “Hawks and Doves,” a monumental structure by Philip Krohn and his organization AUXART.
The artist is building it right now — visitors are encouraged to come watch him work during open hours on most Thursdays and Fridays. When it’s completed in November, the sculpture is expected to weave more than 450 feet among the art institute’s old-growth olive trees. It’s so sprawling, you can’t see the whole thing from one place, and that’s not the only part that can’t be seen. “Hawks and Doves” will incorporate a bird blind where visitors can secrete themselves to spot all the multivarious avians (including some rare species) flitting about.
Krohn is a cross-disciplinary artist and arts producer who splits his time between Sonoma and Oregon. He specializes in large-scale, site-specific artworks that often include sounds or music, and has exhibited at the Berkeley Center for New Media, the Portland Art Museum, the Center for the Arts in Jackson Hole and elsewhere. The artist is undertaking the Napa project as part of his residency program with di Rosa, which invites Northern California creatives to reimagine the land surrounding the arts facility.
The di Rosa Center for Contemporary Art in Napa, Calif., is installing a large-scale sculpture by Philip Krohn in 2024 in its outdoor sculpture garden that includes a blind for birdwatching. (Courtesy of the di Rosa Center for Contemporary Art)
“Unlike previous residents, Krohn’s work takes place not in-gallery, but directly on the land amidst di Rosa’s historic olive grove and sculpture meadow,” Twyla Ruby, associate curator, said in a statement. “Krohn’s longstanding sculptural practice involves working with scrap materials endemic to site. In this case, he is working directly with olive tree prunings, among other materials, to create a stunning architectural installation that rises and falls with the rhythms of the land, inviting visitors to commune with the deep history of this particular place.”
Visitors who do come out to watch the artist at work are encouraged to bring picnics, as the grounds include meadows, walking trails and a scenic lake.
Details: The di Rosa Center for Contemporary Art is open 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Thursday-Sunday at 5200 Carneros Highway, Napa; general admission tickets are $25 and available at dirosaart.org.
