Frontera Sculpture Oasis

Located just three miles from the U.S.-Mexico border, Frontera Sculpture Oasis is a unique celebration of the Earth as envisioned by a singular artist working in the borderland near Columbus, New Mexico.

This fascinating sculpture garden is the work of Taras Mychalewych, a German emigre raised in St. Paul, Minnesota. After wandering through New Mexico for four days after his car blew up in the midst of a cross-country drive, he decided to move there and build a sculpture garden. He describes the park as infused with feminine energy, derived from the Mother of God (or Prajñāpāramitā), and Mother Earth. The message appears to be a tribute and appreciation to nature, and perhaps a warning to those who have defiled it in the name of profit.

The garden is nestled in the Chihuahuan desert, where agave and cholla mingle with the work. The oasis is explicitly inspired by the Watts Towers, and perhaps includes elements of other roadside outsider sculpture parks. Sculptural figures appear to be built out of scavenged or donated media, ranging from bricks to bottles. A makeshift biosphere mingles with sculptures crafted to mimic the shapes of the surrounding natural environment. A colorful display includes figures representing a regional mariachi band, welcoming people to the borderlands.