Grand Rapids Arch

Andy Goldsworthy works with natural materials such as leaves, sand, ice, and stone to create—and often photograph—highly ephemeral works of art. Permanent installations, such as Grand Rapids Arch, are more rare. Made with stone from Scotland, this is intended to be viewed as a work of sculpture rather than an architectural element. Goldsworthy sited the work during his visits to Meijer Gardens. For him, the arch is a way to talk about movement: “The arch seemed an appropriate form to talk about ideas of travel because the stone, out of the context of an archway or a building, a free-standing arch, has a sense of a stone taking a walk; a stride; a movement. So that became the really important motivating idea behind the arches.”

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Andy Goldsworthy. Grand Rapids Arch, 2001/2005. Red sandstone, 216 x 426 x 87 inches. Gift of Fred and Lena Meijer. © Andy Goldsworthy.