Dedication of Embodying Thoreau: dwelling, sitting, watching
October 4, 2003

“In wildness is the preservation of the world.”—Henry David Thoreau

A lively group gathered on October 4, 2003 to welcome Embodying Thoreau: dwelling, sitting, watching to its new home at the Pennypack Environmental Center (8600A Verree Road in Northeast Philadelphia). Created by artist Ed Levine, the project consists of a series of wooden structures “between sculpture and architecture" that explore various aspects of humanity's relationship to nature.

Inspired by the writings of famed nineteenth-century author Henry David Thoreau, who is often described as the “father” of the environmental movement in the United States, the project features three elements—Thoreau’s Hut, Benches, and Bird Blind—nestled along the trails of the Environmental Center.

To develop this project, Levine worked closely with representatives of the Pennypack Environmental Center Advisory Council, a community group that supports the Center. To evoke the spirit and values that inspired Embodying Thoreau, council members joined Levine and others involved in the project in reading passages from Thoreau’s classic Walden. Visitors then hiked the 1/4-mile-long trail that connects the project, viewing the artworks and enjoying the Pennypack’s spectacular natural setting.

Embodying Thoreau: dwelling, sitting, watching was commissioned through the Art Association's ongoing program New•Land•Marks: public art, community, and the meaning of place.