In VCCA-France: "Jardin de l'Empereur" by Melissa S. Armstrong

"Jardin de l'Empereur", Installation View, Auvillar, France
2012, stoneware, piano wire, mixed media, dimensions variable
Gracefully arcing on slender stems in the grass behind Maison Vieilhescazes, ceramic bells chime, many holding mysterious tokens that entice viewers to investigate and wander in search of more. Jardin de l'Empereur, an installation created by VCCA Fellow Melissa S. Armstrong during her residency in Auvillar, France, rolls gently along the path leading to Coeur de Mon Coeur, a sculpture by artist and VCCA Artistic Director, Craig Pleasants.
"Jardin de l'Empereur", Detail, Auvillar, France
2012, stoneware, piano wire, mixed media
On Friday, September 21, Directrice Résidente Cheryl Fortier, VCCA Fellows, and guests from Auvillar and other local villages, spent a beguiling summer evening in the Emperor's Garden. They nibbled on chocolates and grapes, strolled amongst the belle flowers, then drifted up to Coeur de Mon Coeur, where they sat a long time simply talking and enjoying the magic. Later, they ambled back to Maison Vieilhescazes, where another resident Fellow, Vibhuti Patel, read from his work. All agreed that it was a thoroughly enchanted evening. 
VCCA Fellows and guests in "Coeur de Mon Coeur", the sculpture by Craig Pleasants
Photo by Nanie Sainson

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