The artist behind the Herculean iron sculptures Wrought Taxonomies on the grounds of the Suffolk County Vanderbilt Museum in Centerport is expected to lead a children's workshop on Monday, Dec. 30.
Brooklyn artist Wendy Klemperer’s Wrought Taxonomies exhibit, Vanderbilt's first outdoor sculpture display, has been extended through 2025.
The exhibit complements the museum's focus on natural history. The children’s workshop, aimed at students in grades 5-8, will run from noon to 2 p.m. The cost is $40 for members and $45 for non-members.
In an interview with The South Shore Press, Klemperer explained that the Gesture Drawing workshop will encourage creativity through fast-paced, paper-intensive drawing exercises.
“We're going to do a lot of drawings and work quickly with different types of lines to get gesture,” she said. “We're going to use charcoal and also these things called brush pens that have ink that's water soluble... it becomes almost like an ink watercolor. My plan is to just try to play around with a bunch of these different charcoal and brush pens, and I want the kids to have lots of pieces of paper so they can do a bunch of different drawings.”
Although Klemperer had hoped to use her outdoor sculptures as models, the winter weather has prompted a change in plans. Instead, students will draw from the museum’s extensive collection of taxidermy animals, which William Kissam Vanderbilt (1878-1944) gathered during his travels for scientific research.
The museum is also home to the Hall of Fishes, which features marine specimens such as seashells, octopuses, and small sharks.
“I feel like there's just so much wonderful stuff to draw from, and my approach is really to get the essence of the animal and its movement,” Klemperer said.
In a press release, Vanderbilt Director of Education Beth Laxer-Limmer said: “Working with an artist like Wendy is a rare opportunity for kids who love to draw. Wendy's work is wonderfully expressive and serene. Spotting her creatures existing on the property is always thrilling.”
The 66-year-old Klemperer, who was born in Boston, has extensive experience teaching art at institutions such as Brooklyn schools, Chesterfield School in New Hampshire, and The Hotchkiss School in Connecticut.
While she has loved both animals and art since childhood, she initially pursued a different career path. Klemperer graduated from Harvard University with a degree in biochemistry before earning a BFA in painting and sculpture from Pratt Institute in Brooklyn in 1983.
She explained her career shift: “I took a sculpture class that really excited me. It got me thinking about art in a different way, and I kind of fell in love with it and decided I wanted to be an artist. So, after college I went to art school.”
Klemperer’s sculpture Lions at the Gate, a 10-foot-tall piece at Pratt, is one of her notable works. Her early experience with sculpture involved working with tree branches, but she eventually turned to welding, a technique she learned on her own.
“I just dove into it and learned. I like to work spontaneously so that's why welding worked for me. The other good thing is that these sculptures can stay outdoors and withstand the weather,” she said.
When not creating large-scale sculptures, Klemperer enjoys horseback riding and divides her time between Brooklyn and New Hampshire, where she maintains a studio.
For more information on Klemperer, visit www.wendyklemperer.com. For details on the workshop, check with the Vanderbilt Museum.