La Tour d'Or Blanc

 

This "tower of white gold" was inaugurated this weekend along with a festival of local food and wine. It stands almost 50 feet high at the end of the bridge leading into Amboise.  It pays homage to the white grape (Chenin Blanc) that fuels the white wines of the Loire Valley.  It also honors the wine makers themselves who worked closely with the artist Jean-Michel Othoniel to create this monumental work that overlooks the town and the river like a golden lighthouse.

Crinkly by Alexander Calder

This Calder mobile-stabile has returned from its "road trip" where it was on display in the Netherlands.  On its return earlier this year it was installed in a space behind a new art center in central Amboise.  In the background you can see the château including its famous chapel on the left.

it was neck and neck

But what a race.  This is another in the series of sculptures that are on display in Amboise during this tourist season.  This one is really an unexpected pleasure on the levee as we don't see too many giraffes on the streets here.

jazz man

I recently posted a photo of a sculpture of a horse near our home.  The same sculptor has several other works placed around town as a special exhibition.  It's probably not a complete coincidence that Amboise has both an equestrian school and a music school.

prancing in the park

This amazing sculpture has been installed near the levee where it will be seen by the many visitors to the Friday and Sunday markets as well as by tourists passing from the main parking lot to the center of town.  The work is comprised of three separate pieces to create the entire horse, but I decided to "focus" on just the front so as to better see the details.

nailed it

This closeup is an installation at Château Chaumont.  I imagine it will evolve as the nails begin to rust.

François 1er chez Leonard de Vinci

I've lived in Amboise several years now and have visited the local post office (La Poste) many times.  But only recently when I was waiting outside for the doors to open for business did I notice this nice carved stone panel above the entrance.  It's been 500 years since Leonardo himself moved to Amboise.   Clos Lucé turned out to be his last home as he died there in 1519.

l'émouvantail

Today's post requires some explanation. A local youth organization sponsors art projects that permit (typically young) participants to express their creative skills in various sites around town.  Here, we have an exhibition of 12 hand-made émouvantails.  This word is itself a clever invention created by combining two French words, épouvantail (scarecrow) and émouvant (moving, touching).  The épouvantail pictured caught my eye because it reminds me of a Native American dreamcatcher.

the portable art gallery

Now here is an unusual way to show and promote contemporary art.  This little structure is staying in Amboise for two months, displaying a single piece of work by two artists for a month each. After that, the little "gallery" will move on to another venue in the Central Region of France.  It's a great example of the many little surprises to be found on the streets here.

the iron gate

I love this gate at the entrance to an old factory in Amboise.  A recent sunny day provided the perfect backdrop for its portrait.

Crinkly

Crinkly is a stabile-mobile created by Alexander Calder in 1969.  It stands at 3 meters 30 (10 feet) and was first installed in Amboise in 1970.  Calder himself chose the location which is next to the high school.  It's a hike from downtown but it's a nice ride on a bike.