Old Frog Pond Farm’s 20th annual Outdoor Sculpture exhibit opened on August 26, and the reception with many of the artists, live music, and refreshments was held on Sunday, September 6. It drew a large, enthusiastic crowd, despite the iffy forecast, and the sounds of the music greeted us before we set our eyes on the sculptures or the accompanying poems, engaging our senses from the moment of arrival.

Entitled “The Art of Noticing”, the show invites “contemplation and slowing down. Over 50 sculptures, contemplative, playful, poetic, and interactive are scattered along the trails, inviting visitors to pause as they walk around the pond and through the woods on a self guided tour.”

Almost immediately one recognizes Acton’s Yin Peet’s enormous Egg, rendered of metal and zip ties that, from a distance, look soft and almost like a dandelion waiting for a breeze to blow them away. A permanent installation, Peet asks us, “Nurturing the farm, waiting for this egg to hatch, what new beginning will emerge?”

Indeed, as we wander the path, we spy Caleb Gloyd in the act of balancing rocks in seemingly impossible ways, encouraging us to reconsider what is actually possible if we can shift our way of seeing. This evolving work is seen from various angles as we continue our walk around the pond, although the secret of how he manages these feats remains a mystery.

Visitor Emma Flint accepts Stephen Paulson’s invitation to strike his sculptures, bringing more sounds into the experience. Jon Sachs’ 59 Boxes almost requires contact, as each of the boxes rotates, displaying a kaleidoscope of color. He reveals that each of the boxes has a whitish side, one that is black in background, one in warm colors (reds and purples) and one in cool colors (blues and greens), and he demonstrates a few of the myriad of possibilities presented here, and shows us a video of many more.

In the woods, “Installation Memorial for Dory” by Jaeok Lee notes that “those we love become our guardians.” Evocative of the children’s book by Maurice Sendak, “Where the Wild Things Are,” these creatures’ loving presence would warm anyone’s transition to another plane. We can all hope for such a warm embrace in our hour of departure. So beautifully rendered and displayed, the pause here is quiet, thoughtful, and hopeful, with growth, in the form of a ceramic plant, sprouting from Dory the resting dog’s side.

The farm itself provides a backdrop of beauty and serenity that supports the wide variety of poems and sculpture. Small meditating figures by Linda Hoffman seem fitting near the pond itself. Marin Murakoshi’s Pegasus Nest is rightly placed, nestled in the woods, “hatched from an egg, just like a unicorn.”

Jose Cuiollo’s fish can swim above land, and the larger-than-life hummingbirds remind us that our imagination knows no bounds— it is as big as the sky, as deep as the sea, and as vast as the woods themselves. We inspire each other with new ways to see the potentially mundane, an exciting way to be a part of the art.

The community aspect of this well-attended event adds to the festivity, our senses singing as we listen, snack, touch, view, and taste the bounty of the farm. Afforded the luxury of a first viewing the week before, with very few people, provided this writer the option of experiencing the exhibit first in quiet and privacy. During the reception it was a delight to see other people’s reactions, hear the questions they asked each other and the artists, and witness the ways in which they interacted with the pieces. There is a particular camaraderie in being with beauty and curiosity as a group, enhanced by the strains of a classical guitar, or a jazzy sax, celebrating the coming together of imagination, creation and the sharing of silent thoughts and feelings.

The exhibit offers a way to know ourselves and the artists, and to ask, as Yin Peet suggests, “What new beginning comes next?”

The exhibit at Old Frog Pond Farm in Harvard extends until October 12, and is open Wednesday-Sunday from 11-4. Adults $10, Seniors $8, and Children $5.