Andy Moerlein is an internationally exhibited sculptor based in Maynard and Boston, Massachusetts. He earned a Bachelor of Arts from Dartmouth College and a Master of Fine Arts from Cornell University. Over his extensive career, Moerlein has showcased his work in museums, sculpture gardens, and galleries across the United States and internationally, including Switzerland and Peru. His notable achievements include a residency at the Museum of Marine Science and Technology in Taiwan and the Distinguished Chair at the Truro Center for the Arts at Castle Hill. In addition to his artistic practice, Moerlein has been an arts advocate, gallery director, educator, and professional juror for over 30 years. “24 Falling Rocks” is Andy’s concrete sculpture for the BCAC sculpture park.

“Artist Residencies for me are a rare interruption to my studio practice and are calculated carefully into my year schedule. They are a shared blessing of liberation from travel, the responsibilities of managing my career, and a focused obligation to make time exceptional. When I got Steve’s fascinating invitation, I needed to pause and deeply consider my goals. My work lately has become mostly indoor work for museum/gallery/collectors addressing the themes of nature and landscape within the art-formal “white box setting”. My larger outdoor work has recently become temporary work from organic media. A residency at BCAC allowed me to create a permanent sculpture in the landscape. This pause in my studio work schedule, escape to the unique and marvelous high desert, and chance to create a forever sculpture among other artists was irresistible. I never regretted my enthusiastic, positive reply to Steve’s invitation.

One wish is that a residency will offer both a focused creative experience, but equally one aspires to a cohort of colleague artists that challenge, educate and invigorate the place with conversation, ideas and different life experiences. BCAC did not disappoint. I made artist friends for life, and each was someone I was unlikely to ever meet without this residency bringing us together.

My work at BCAC was fully new to me, in fact I was unable to conjure up my exact design goals before arriving. THAT WAS FRIGHTENING! But also, liberating and important. Despite my vague direction in the first few days, Steve never doubted my progress and my cohort were busy on their own work and shared some of their own redirections and doubts. My goals were to make a sculpture unlike anything at the sculpture park and have it belong within my body of work and the landscape of this fine Nevada mountainside. In the end I was very sad to leave my work and my friends. Falling Rocks will stay behind and proudly represent this lovely intersection between a generous arts supporter and the collected artists who live in this place for a month given the gift of time and freedom to create.”

– Andy Moerlein

Artist’s Interview