‘Pi in the Sky III,’ a stainless steel sculpture that stands more than 17 feet high, has joined 11 other works of art on display at Laurelwood Arboretum. The monumental piece was created by Micajah Bienvenu, known for twisting and turning steel into glittering sculptures. His work combines technology with traditional, large-scale design and fabrication. “With its emphasis on curves, lines and seams, my work has been described as 3-D abstract paintings,” Bienvenu said.
‘Pi in the Sky III’ by Micajah Bienvenu
Photo by Sean Holzi
Bienvenu studied sculpture at Whitman College in Walla Walla, Washington and soon became a celebrated Pacific Northwest sculptor. He now lives in Vermont, where his contemporary sculptures are conceived in a 3D modeling program and fabricated in his studio.
“In the early part of my career my studio was in close proximity to heavy industry in Seattle, and I was exposed to many large-scale fabrication techniques. This really expanded my ideas of what was possible with my art making,” Bienvenu said. “I am inspired by forms found in nature and science. I particularly love the fluidity of form found in the natural environment such as vines, tree roots, water currents and the paths of subatomic particles.”
Bienvenu’s recent public commissions include Washington States Arts Commission, Art in Public Places Program, South Seattle College, Seattle, WA; Thurman Street Bridge, Portland DOT, Portland, OR; Town Icon Sculpture, Town of Friday Harbor, WA. He has also exhibited at the Matzke Galley of Fine Art and Sculpture Park, Camano Island, WA; Gallery Without Walls, Lake Oswego, OR; Salem Art Works, Salem, NY; Art in the Parks, Westchester County, NY; and his work is included in corporate collections including MacDonald’s Corporate Headquarters, Seattle, WA; Boeing Commercial Airplanes, Renton, WA; Nordstrom Corporate Headquarters, Seattle, WA; Spears Plastics, Los Angeles, CA.
A Sculpture Trail is sponsored by Friends of Laurelwood Arboretum and is curated by Scott A. Broadfoot of the Broadfoot & Broadfoot gallery in Boonton, NJ. All sculptures on exhibit in A Sculpture Trail are available for purchase, with a percentage of the proceeds donated to Friends of Laurelwood Arboretum to be applied towards a capital improvement project.
To follow the progress of A Sculpture Trail installations on Instagram go to https://www.instagram.com/laurelwoodsculpturetrl/ A GoFundMe page has been set up to accept donations for the project. To contribute, please go to https://gofund.me/058cd464