Public is invited to tour Djerassi art colony, estate

People who enjoy stunning mountain scenery coupled with modern sculpture set into the landscape may want to sign up for one of eight public tours scheduled this year by the Djerassi Resident Artists Program on its 600 acres west of Skyline.

Participants will be treated to a 3-1/2-hour guided hike over 2-1/2 vigorous miles through redwood forests, oak groves and open hillsides with spectacular views of the Pacific Ocean.

They will visit sculptures fitted into the landscape, including: "Tori," an imposing redwood gate reminiscent of Japan, by Bruce Johnson; "Untitled," a surprising group of large geometric shapes that appear to have dropped from the sky into an oak grove, by Mauro, Staccioli; "Charred Sphere, Pyramid, Cube in Redwood Stump," by English sculptor David Nash; and "Vanishing Ship," prototype of the sculpture on display in Yerba Buena Gardens in San Francisco, by Bay Area sculptor John Roloff.

This year's tours are set for Sunday, April 19; Saturday, May 16 (sold out); Saturday, June 20; Sunday, July 19; Saturday, Aug. 15; Sunday, Sept. 20; Saturday, Oct. 17; and a November date to be announced.

Tour cost is $25 (non-refundable) per person, with $20 a tax-deductible donation to the Djerassi program. Advanced reservations are required. A limited number of free tour spaces are available for students or those with limited income.

Participants meet at the ranch gate at 10 a.m., and tours last until about 1:30 p.m., with a lunch break at noon at the picnic grounds. Hikers bring comfortable walking shoes or boots, sunscreen, windbreaker, water, and a picnic lunch. They do not visit the artist studios.

The Djerassi Resident Artists Program is a retreat located on a 600-acre ranch in the Santa Cruz Mountains. It was founded in 1979 by writer and scientist, Dr. Carl Djerassi, in memory of his daughter, Pamela, a painter and poet. Writers, visual artists, and choreographers from across the country and around the world spend four-to-six weeks at the ranch, free to be creative away from the hassles of everyday life.

For information or tour reservations, call the program office at 747-1250 Monday through Friday between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. The fax number is 747-0105; e-mail: drap@djerassi.org; web site (which gives a virtual sculpture tour): www.djerassi.org.