NEW LONDON, CONN.- The Lyman Allyn Art Museum is presenting an exhibition of sculpture by the late David Smalley (1940-2015). The David Smalley Memorial Exhibition includes more than 40 sculptures exhibited in the Museum’s galleries and outdoors on the Museum grounds and campus of Connecticut College. It is on view from June 3 through August 13, 2017.

This year marks the 20th Anniversary of David Smalley’s 1997 Retrospective Exhibition at the Lyman Allyn. Smalley had considerable input in the early phase of planning the Memorial Exhibition; unfortunately he did not live to see its completion. His death in October of 2015 has transformed the exhibition into an occasion to celebrate Smalley’s life and work.

Smalley’s overarching vision for the Memorial Exhibition remains intact: the galleries feature sculpture created since the 1997 retrospective. Smalley typically worked in series, and the show is organized accordingly: kinetic works in stainless steel, which reflect and engage their environment; bent wood pieces, also kinetic, which reference more natural materials and contexts; experiments in 3D printing that produce dystopic industrial landscapes enclosed in bell jars; a somber series of bronze shipwrecks; and finally a mesmerizing “Spartina” series, inspired by the graceful movements of wetland grasses.

In studios in Connecticut and Florida, Smalley also created large-scale sculptures, made of steel, aluminum, bronze and wood, meant for outdoor display. Many of these are included in the exhibition, which extends from the grounds of the Museum through the campus of Connecticut College. Together, they comprise a retrospective of Smalley’s fifty-year career.

The Museum has collaborated with professors and students at the College to create a Smalley Sculpture Trail, a web-based tour beginning on the steps of the Museum and culminating at the top of the College Green, with informative commentaries along the way. Narrations are done by Sam Quigley, Director of the Lyman Allyn; Katherine Bergeron, President of Connecticut College; and other colleagues, relatives, and former students. Visitors may download the tour on mobile devices via the QR code or website address provided on the exhibition brochure and near the entrance to the Museum. The Sculpture Trail will remain on view through October 29, 2017.