Wes Bruce: Wondersound Part 2 at New Children’s Museum

 by Patricia Frischer

Wes Bruce and one of the smaller visitors to existing Wondersound

Wes Bruce In conversation with Megan Dickerson from the New Children’s Museum about the new patio addition to Wondersound

Existing Wondersound

Wes Bruce is in the middle of creating a new space outdoors at the New Children’s Museum on the patio next to the existing Wondersound. that so many of us have enjoyed. You might also remember Bruce for his major installation at the California Center for the Arts in Escondido.

Megan Dickenson and Wes Bruce in conversation

Megan Dickenson and Wes Bruce covered in compost!

Wes Bruce and the New Children’s Museum discussed how this new space will create a place to pause made for adults and children to allow for both emotional and physical air flow. They spent the day before the talk compositing the site and seeing that job as a metaphor for turning over the trauma of the last 14 months. They want this area to contain a vessel for recovery and re-connection. Continuing the metaphor, the use of the word “sound” as a body of water between two bits of land creating an entrance for  the wind to blow, sun to shine, and birds to sing.  The new Wondersound is an expansion from inside the museum to outside which is a catalyst for healing and a sort of creation of a new sound body  

Beginning sketch for the patio

As an artist Bruce is a terrific graphic designer and the older installation is mainly animals, but the outside will have images of plants as well as the real thing with lots of poetry and words included. He describes himself as a professional mess maker. But ultimately, he works to knit the community together and empower them. This project is not a thing, but an experience. In planting this garden, he hopes to help people learn about what their heart needs.

The New Children’s Museum is open to member now and opening to the public again on May 21^st 
Ribbon cutting:  8:15 a.m. – 8:45 a.m.
Public access:  9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
The new Wes Bruce Wondersound garden space will be opening June 4th. 

If you want to listen to the entire talk or any of the other other artists' talks, they are available on the New Children's Museum website.

 2021 Re-imagining the Brave Look Book at the Children’s Museum shows many of the artists’ commissions at the museum