Ribbit the Exhibit Coming to Mounts

Ribbit the Exhibit - Jazz Trio

Ribbit the Exhibit - In Meditation

(PRESS RELEASE)_(West Palm Beach, FL – December 12, 2019) Friends of the Mounts Botanical Garden today announced a huge, eye-popping and family-friendly presentation – perfect for Leap Year!

Ribbit the Exhibit
January 11–May 31, 2020

Come to Mounts and see this enchanting cast of 23 whimsical, larger-than-life frog characters. Follow the exhibit guide to discover them in 17 locations throughout the Garden. Each frog has a name and a story; it’s a fun and interactive experience for families to enjoy together.

The Ribbit sculptures are each 5 to 7 feet tall and handcrafted from copper, colored with natural patina with some secured to a solid stone tread, others sitting in chairs or on trees—all designed by artist J.A. Cobb. The delightful tableaux include a hoppy jazz trio, a meditating post-pollywog in Mounts’ Windows on the Floating World, a jiving froggy Fred and Ginger, a coffee-sipping frog enjoying lakeside views, and so many more.

Hours & Admission for Ribbit the Exhibit
Daily – 10 am to 4 pm
Throughout the Garden

FREE for Mounts members; $15 for nonmembers; $8 for students and RAP members with ID; $5 for children 5 to 12

Tickets are available for purchase online at www.Mounts.org or at the Garden’s main gate. The last entry and ticket sold each day will be at 3:30 pm.

For Mounts Botanical Garden, Ribbit the Exhibit is a natural follow-up to two recent eco-friendly exhibitions: Washed Ashore: Art to Save the Sea (2017-2018) and this year’s popular Cutting Corners: A Stickwork Exhibition by Patrick Dougherty.

“All of our dynamic exhibitions use the power of art to draw attention to the environment, and the use of reclaimed or natural materials to produce monumental pieces that delight visitors of all ages, while having minimal impact on the environment,” says Wolberg. “This exhibition presents an invaluable opportunity for the Garden to educate visitors of all ages about science, nature and the amazing diversity of wildlife, while adding the excitement of these larger-than-life sculptures. What better way to ‘inspire and educate through nature,’ as is our mission.”

Note: Ribbit the Exhibit replaces the previously announced Big Bugs presentation. Mounts Botanical Garden will be closed January 6-10 for the installation of Ribbit.

About J.A. Cobb, the artist behind Ribbit the Exhibit:

Andy Cobb’s unique copper art is owned and enjoyed by clients around the country. He is particularly renowned for his large-scale, fanciful frog sculptures which are displayed in creative ways both indoors and outdoors. He also produces exquisite copper sculptures of birds, fishes and other animals with an uncommon level of skill and artistry.

His first large, whimsical frog was patterned after Old Toad from the book, The Wind and the Willows. He wore a vest and morning coat and carried a brass oil lamp. Cobb fashioned five more large frogs for his first one man show in Wilmington North Carolina, where he is based. This first show also included many copper fish, birds, crabs, shrimp and sea turtles; 30 pieces in all. Cobb hand draws each piece, then cuts them from sheets of copper. They are then hammered and folded into the desired shape, much like origami. The pieces are assembled with a brazing process of solid copper, usually around a steel armature to give the sculpture the strength to last for many generations. Last comes the finish, either from a chemically forced patina or a colorful pattern coaxed from the metal using the heat.

Cobb is now often referred to as the “Frog Man” due to the hundreds of whimsical, reptilian sculptures he has built for people throughout the country. “I once wondered if and when I would ever be considered a serious artist. I now realize I’m serious all right, serious about my whimsy. I get several calls and letters each week from people telling me that one of my sculptures made them smile or laugh. What more could anyone ask for?”

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