Sculpting Nature: Sculptor Tinka Jordy Celebrates Three Decades of Art in the Garden

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Tinka Jordy has been a strong representative for Hillsborough arts. Shown here coordinating at the annual light up the night parade. Photos by Donn Young

Tinka Jordy and her family operated a gallery in downtown Hillsborough for many years. It became a gathering place where visitors and residents would converge to be immersed in art, and sometimes to buy it. Also perhaps for a glass of wine. And it was not rare to leave her gallery altered by the paintings and sculptures there, to be changed by beauty. Art is a bond that links us, person to person; its value cannot be overestimated or overappreciated. This is what Tinka Jordy’s gallery provided for the Hillsborough community — and that is no small thing.

Sculpture by Tinka Jordy

The gallery has closed, but art lives on. Tinka has never stop creating or working behind the scenes helping local arts associations succeed in their mission. And this spring, Tinka is once again committed to a Hillsborough event that happens to take place — not in a gallery, but in her garden.

Sculpture in the Garden

The 30th Annual Art in the Garden Sculpture Exhibition, led by Jordy, once again transforms the natural beauty of her property into an open-air gallery that celebrates art and nature, the juxtaposition of works made by human hands and the natural beauty of the world that was given to us.

“When we started this exhibition thirty years ago, I never imagined we’d create such a lasting tradition,” Jordy says. “What began as a small gathering of artists has evolved into a beloved community celebration that brings art lovers from across the region to experience sculpture in its most natural setting.”

The annual event features over 100 sculptures from both local and international artists, including many of her own works. Guests wander through gardens and, like children finding an Easter egg, suddenly discover, elegant in the flowers, something surprising and beautiful. A sculpture. The artist who made it might be there too.

Sculptor Tinka Jordy

Jordy hopes viewers leave her garden more enlightened about “where we are, what we have done, and how we can take part in making ‘softer footprints’ on the earth.”

Her given name is Lisa but was nicknamed “Tinka Bell” as a baby, this New Orleans native knew from age six that she was meant to create. “My mom was an artist, too. I was putting clay in the oven when I was in kindergarten and by the time I was in middle school, I owned a kiln.”

After receiving her Bachelor of Arts degree in 1977 and attending the Cleveland Institute of Art and the Kansas City Art Institute, Jordy taught for several years before her attraction to clay led her back to the studio. She fell in love with North Carolina while participating in an art show in the Outer Banks and eventually settled, with Mark Donley, in Hillsborough.

An enraptured guest at Sculpture in the Garden

What sets this exhibition apart, other than its natural setting, is its collaborative spirit. Under Jordy’s guidance, the event operates on a cooperative model where participating artists collectively cover expenses, and no commissions are taken from sales. This artist-centric approach ensures that the focus remains purely on the creative dialogue between the sculptures, the environment, and the visitors.

Incantation 360 by Mike Roig

This year’s roster features ten accomplished sculptors working across various mediums. From Tripp Jarvis’s dynamic metal compositions to Susan Moffatt’s elegant marble forms, the exhibition showcases a rich diversity of materials and approaches. Jordy herself will present her distinctive stoneware sculptures that often incorporate mythical and natural elements.

Sculpture by Roberta Wood

The 30th Annual Art in the Garden Sculpture Exhibition will be open to the public on Saturday, May 3rd and May 10th, from 10:00 am – 5:00 pm, and Sunday, May 4th from Noon – 5:00 pm, at 1902 Borland Road. More information is available at www.garden-art-gallery.com.

This milestone celebration promises to be not just a look back at three decades of artistic achievement, but a testament to the enduring power of bringing sculpture into conversation with the outside world.

Sculpture by Wayne Vaughn

Tinka Jordy is a cheerleader for a multi-layered collaboration, one that exists between artists and their art, between the art and the individual, and between the individual and the community. The kind of beauty she creates transcends what you can even see. Art nurtures us and makes the world, and our little spot in it, a better place.

Join the fun. Refreshments are served and parking is easy on-site. Make this a day trip to Hillsborough and enjoy dinner that night at one of these local restaurants — art you can eat.

Sculpture by William Moore

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Laurie Paolicelli

Disclaimer: Published by Orange County’s Tourism Department through its Public Relations team, this story includes interviews and repurposed content from websites and partner press releases. For more, visit www.visitchapelhill.org or contact Laurie Paolicelli.

Laurie Paolicelli is executive director for the Chapel Hill/Orange County Visitors Bureau, a position she has held since 2005. Laurie has worked in tourism and marketing for twenty-five years, having served in leadership roles in Houston and California convention and visitor bureaus. She is a native of the Twin Ports of Duluth, MN/Superior Wisconsin. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business and Communications from the University Wisconsin-Superior and graduate certification in Technology In Marketing from the UNC-Chapel Hill’s Hussman School of Journalism and Media. This reporter can be reached at Information@TheLocalReporter.press