To the Loring
Lighthouses take a back seat to the reclusive nature property, open to artists this week

The Loring Property is the Greta Garbo of Nantucket real estate But this month (from July 10-21), the Nantucket Land Council is opening the left-alone demesne to artists interested in documenting the rarely documented landscape.

Located between Madaket and Eel Point Road, the 270acre Loring Property consists of Heathland's pine forest, wetland and sand plain grassland - the latter is a globally threatened ecosystem, according to NLC Executive Director Cormac Collier.

"This property has a huge portion of threatened plants," Collier said, "including state-listed rare and endangered species of animals and plants such as the Harrier Hawk and the New England Blazing Star."

Selected participating artists will have their work exhibited in "Love of the Land: Works inspired by the Loring Property," which will go up at the Brigham Galleries from September 29 - October 8.

The NLC is hosting this extended artists' outing in the hopes of generating awareness for the threatened ecosystem, but also to raise money for the NLC's ongoing campaign to purchase the land. (So far, the NLC has raised $10 million of the $14 million needed to buy the property from Linda Loring and the Linda Loring Nature Foundation by January 2007.)

Though it is free for artists to visit the property, the NLC is suggesting a donation of 30 percent of the purchase price for any Loring painting sold.

Artists need not commit to showing their Loring work at the Brigham Galleries to visit the area. However, those who are interested in exhibiting at the Brigham Galleries should submit work by the jury deadline: August 25.

For directions to the property and other logistical information, contact the NLC at 2282818. For more information on the NLC, go to www.nantucketlandcouncil.org.

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