Open House

Gerald Walburg is a gentle, unassuming man with an extremely large perspective on life. His multiple homes, backyard art studios and sophisticated gardens are proof. But nothing conveys this man’s vast talent for great endeavors more than his art—his really big art. Examples include the 40-foot-tall corten steel “Indo Arch,” installed in 1980 outside of Macy’s on the K Street Mall, and a striking bronze sculpture at the entrance of the Crocker Art Museum. While art lovers can access Walburg’s public creations at any time, the community now has the opportunity to view his private collection during this year’s Urban Renaissance Home Tour on Sunday, Sept. 23.

It is not unusual for people to stop in front of Carla Serra and Gary Ackerman’s home in Wilhaggin just to admire the corner lot’s lush landscape. Elegant Japanese maples dot a curving berm edged with decorative rock. Showy, colorful annuals and perennials, in varying heights and textures, take turns blossoming with each season. Grapevines twist up a white arbor that frames a stately row of windows, bedecking a comfortably appointed porch.