Audio tour Villa Barr Sculpture Tour

Welcome to Villa Barr, the City of Novi's Art Park. Villa Barr was conceived, constructed and was the home of the late David Barr and his wife Beth Dwaihy Barr.

David Barr was a world-renowned sculptor. His works are displayed in numerous countries world-wide. He is the creator of the largest sculpture in the history of mankind-the Four Corners Project. But more about that later.

Before we begin our tour of Villa Barr, lets pause and take in the serene landscape of Villa Barr and learn a little bit about David Barr, the man, his works and his approach to sculpture. With this understanding you will have a greater appreciation of what you are about to see at Villa Barr.

In 1978, young artist David Barr began work on a site in Novi that would eventually become known as Villa Barr. In the ensuing years, Villa Barr evolved into a site of national and international importance as David labored “…to create an experience that can deepen our sensitivity to original sources and the interwoven dependence of life.” Film makers, philosophers, mathematicians, scientists, geographers and historians from scores of countries around the world came to Villa Barr to learn and collaborate. It hosted performances by musicians, poets, dancers, and opera singers. It
was the crucible for artwork, both public and private, that today spans the globe. Barr’s Four Corners Project is a conceptual work of art that links four corners of the earth. His Arctic Arc provides a visual bridge across the Bearing Straits. U.S. Senator Carl Levin described Sunsweep, Barr’s international art project along the U.S. Canadian border, as “breathtakingly creative [and] of great importance to representing and symbolizing the cohesiveness of the U.S. and Canada”. In David’s hometown of Detroit, Transcending rises above Hart Plaza to celebrate the history of organized labor. His artwork is held in museum and private collections around the world.

All of these facts are impressive, but they are just a muted reflection of the artistry, imagination, creativity, intellect, curiosity, and vision that has emanated from Villa Barr for almost five decades. This is where David Barr . . .artist, writer, teacher and his wife Beth Dwaihy Barr. . . dancer, teacher and partner made a home, nurtured their inspirations, realized their dreams and inspired countless students, artists, friends and relatives to find “the surprise submerged in the idea”. 

In his book Crossing Lines David Barr refers to his art as “fossils of where I have been.” Geologists know, as did David, that a fossil holds more than knowledge of the past. It can open windows to the future. David Barr strove to “create harmony with the environment. . . natural, social, political, global.” His artwork envisions a world where everything is “knotted into elegant sometimes invisible nets.” Like all of his work, Villa Barr is a manifestation of his esthetic, and deep knowledge and understanding of art and science. Working with awarding winning architect Lawrence Booth, they
together laid out the house over a grid of golden mean rectangles. Their shared interest in the art of Constructivists and Bauhaus, the thinking of Buckminster Fuller and Thomas Jefferson and the architecture of Palladio and Mies van der Rohe resulted in designs David describes as “simple, but
gracious, playing with a contemporary American translation of Palladio's Italian villas. ” Booth named it Villa Barr.

Novi's Art Legacy at Villa Barr is a place where David's singular vision is honored, studied, expanded and celebrated. It strives to be a place that inspires others to seek new paths, to live for the harmony, enlightenment and exhilaration found in creative innovative expression. It is a peaceful place where visitors can relax, contemplate and be inspired.