THE GROVE

Just a year after the successful opening of The Grove in downtown Clinton’s Pocket Park at 125 Fourth Ave. South, the park will once again come alive — this time with artwork created by Harmony Eccles of Kansas City, Missouri. Eccles is an abstract painter inspired by spiritual connectedness and beauty in nature.

The exhibit will open to the public June 4 and will exhibit 12 paintings ranging in size from 4 feet to 10 feet tall. It will be an immersive experience able to be enjoyed by all ages. “Back in September of 2021, I had the idea to create an ‘art forest’ in Pocket Park,” said artist Gabi Torres. “My intention was to create a public art display where visitors would be able to walk through a forest of art for an intimate and immersive art experience. The display would be up for the months of June and July, be easily accessible, and free to the public.”

Like in 2022, this year’s The Grove will feature lights at night and be up until the fall. The art forest consists of 12 free-standing, crafted wood frames, created by Tim and Charlie from Retired with Wood, that hold 12 colorful, abstract pieces made on convertible canvas tops from Upholstery Unlimited. This year the frames will be sanded and restained.

Eccles was raised in Clinton, Iowa and currently resides in Kansas City. Working from her Kansas City studio, she creates work rich in symbolism and spiritual undertones. Her recent collection of paintings has been shown at the Lacke Farben Gallerie in Berlin, Germany.

“This summer, I will be unveiling a ‘Connective Conversation’ at The Grove,” she said. “This series is an exploration of continuing a conversation on canvas that Gabi Torres began in 2022. These 12 artworks will explore the importance of listening, validation, understanding, and compassionate response. As the series progresses, I hope you will experience the celebration of overlapping story, the beauty in collaboration and the importance of connection and friendship in all stages of life.”