“Orion’s belt”

Orion’s Belt, a revered art piece created by Harold Grinspoon, is featured in the north end of downtown Amherst. After beating the odds and surviving cancer 30 years ago, Grinspoon created the Harold Grinspoon Foundation with his wife, Diane Troderman, to fulfill a deeper purpose. The foundation’s flagship program has now donated more than 680,000 free Jewish books to children monthly in 32 countries and an additional 190,000 Arab books monthly. Then, at the age of 84, Grinspoon had another personal awakening and decided to become an artist. Since that time, Grinspoon has gone on to produce over 140 sculptures, with “Orion’s Belt” being one of his proudest pieces. Many sculptures made by Grinspoon are large scale, exterior works made from reclaimed trees, branches, and driftwood. He seeks to experiment with form, movement, and color with each piece as he continues growing as both an artist and a person. Grinspoon has other sculptures featured in locations such as Mass General Hospital, Kent State University, and many more. Art has gifted Grinspoon with more understanding than he could’ve ever imagined, and “Orion’s Belt” is a magnificent portrayal on how he grapples with themes of mortality.