Reeves-Reed Arboretum Launches Summer Arts Season with New Exhibitions, Sculpture Installation, and Outdoor Concerts

This summer, art and nature take center stage at Reeves-Reed Arboretum as the Summit landmark launches a vibrant season of exhibitions, outdoor sculpture, and live music designed to inspire visitors of all ages.

The season officially opened during the Arboretum’s signature fundraising event, ART in the Garden, with the debut of Féminin Pluriel, a solo exhibition by Québec-based artist Pascale Bouchard. Now open to the public through October 31 in the Wisner House gallery, the exhibition features richly textured encaustic works that explore themes of transformation, memory, and the enduring power of the feminine through floral imagery and organic forms. Created using pigmented beeswax and heat, Bouchard’s paintings celebrate both the beauty and resilience found throughout the natural world.

Beyond the gallery walls, visitors can discover a new outdoor sculpture installation woven throughout the Arboretum’s gardens and woodland paths. Wild Impressions: Foxes by Brooklyn-based artist Wendy Klemperer features a series of six fox silhouettes crafted from plasma-cut reclaimed steel. Serving as a tribute to the native wildlife that calls our region home, the sculptures capture the grace, curiosity, and movement of foxes while encouraging guests to explore the landscape in new ways. Klemperer’s masterful craftsmanship and commitment to sustainable materials bring the natural world vividly to life through these striking works.

The celebration of the arts continues all summer long with the return of the Arboretum’s beloved Sounds of a Summer Night concert series. Held on select Wednesday evenings, the family-friendly performances invite guests of all ages to enjoy live music in a beautiful garden setting. Concertgoers are welcome to arrive beginning at 6 pm with picnic dinners, blankets, and lawn chairs before performances begin at 7 pm.

Concerts are held rain or shine and will move indoors in the event of inclement weather. Visitors are encouraged to check the Arboretum website for updates. The series is generously sponsored by Summit Elks Lodge #1246.

Together, these exhibitions, sculptures, and performances transform Reeves-Reed Arboretum into a destination where creativity and nature exist in harmony. Whether discovering contemporary artwork in the gallery, encountering fox sculptures along a woodland path, or enjoying music beneath the summer sky, visitors will find countless opportunities to connect with the arts in one of Union County’s most beautiful settings.

• This year’s lineup includes:
• June 24 – Ryan Hernandez Jazz Trio
• July 15 – Ginger Winn
• July 29 – The Vintage Vibe Tribe
• August 26 – Sound Bite

For details and concert ticket information, visit reeves-reedarboretum.org.

About Reeves-Reed Arboretum
Reeves-Reed Arboretum is a nonprofit public arboretum and historic garden in Summit, New Jersey, dedicated to fostering connections between people and nature through environmental stewardship, education, horticulture, and the arts. Listed on the National and New Jersey Registers of Historic Places, the Arboretum serves as a vibrant community resource, welcoming visitors year-round to explore its gardens, woodlands, educational programs, exhibitions, and special events.