Monday, July 22, 2019

Traverse City: Spiritual art graces Healing Garden in Historic Barns Park

The containment ring awaits the creation of the labyrinth in the Healing Garden.

Hurray! The concrete ring has been poured for the labyrinth we are creating at The Botanic Garden at Historic Barns Park in Traverse City, Michigan. We have been putting much love into this labyrinth for months now, and we are so excited to begin the project!

The Chartres-inspired (not an exact replica) labyrinth will feature the traditional 11-circuit pattern minus the lunations. The concrete paths will be 18.5 inches wide and the clay lines will be 6.5 inches wide. This labyrinth will be a little over 61 feet in diameter, providing a long, pleasant walk in this beautiful space surrounded by lush greenery. When all of the work is completed, the labyrinth will be the central feature of the Healing Gardens, which will also include a Medicine Wheel and gardens full of healing herbs.

We have already put a lot of work into this project. Marty calculated that 10,000 hand-sculpted pavers would be required to create just the lines of the pattern, so he set to work in April soon after we completed the labyrinth at the Louisiana Children’s Museum. With his powerful EDCO hardscape diamond-blade saw, Marty began to sculpt the most intricate parts of the design, which will feature red, charcoal gray, and taupe pavers. As many of you are aware, Marty hand sculpts each piece with intention and love for all.

Red and charcoal gray pavers comprise the trefoils of the rosette.

The trefoils Marty has carved for the center of this modified Chartres labyrinth are miniature sculptures within the larger design of this custom-crafted installation for The Botanic Garden at Historic Barns Park.

The red spires of the Traverse City State Hospital create a distinctive city skyline.

The committee overseeing the labyrinth project loves the idea of having a red accent on the trefoils of the rosette. This design was inspired by the red tips of the old 1880’s spires on the former Traverse City State Hospital, now known as The Village at Grand Traverse Commons.

By the time we lay the last brick, more than 16,000 pavers will be used to create this beautiful work of spiritual art.

This is the second labyrinth we have created in the beautiful state of Michigan, and both feature the same distinctive color combination of red, charcoal gray, and taupe pavers. We are so grateful to committee of The Botanic Garden Historic Barns Park for choosing Labyrinths in Stone to create this installation. We look forward to blessing Traverse City and our Mother Earth with another beautiful labyrinth!


A natural spring popped up near the entrance of the labyrinth--what a blessing!

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