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All the United States New Mexico Frontera Sculpture Oasis

Frontera Sculpture Oasis

This roadside sculpture garden in New Mexico venerates Mother Earth and outsider art.

Luna County, New Mexico

Added By
Ian Lefkowitz
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Life on the borderlands at the Frontera Sculpture Oasis.   ianlefk / Atlas Obscura User
Life on the borderlands at the Frontera Sculpture Oasis.   ianlefk / Atlas Obscura User
A piece from the Frontera Sculpture Oasis.   ianlefk / Atlas Obscura User
Works at the Frontera Sculpture Oasis.   ianlefk / Atlas Obscura User
Frontera Sculpture Oasis   ianlefk / Atlas Obscura User
Frontera Sculpture Oasis   ianlefk / Atlas Obscura User
A sign welcoming visitors to the Frontera Sculpture Oasis.   ianlefk / Atlas Obscura User
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About

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.

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Art Outsider Art Sculpture Gardens

Know Before You Go

This growing collection is free and open to the public. The artist is seeking donations to build a 160-foot stained glass egg, which he calls the Monument of Humanity.

Community Contributors

Added By

ianlefk

Edited By

Catlick23

  • Catlick23

Published

September 25, 2023

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  • https://heartsoftheworldunited.org/
Frontera Sculpture Oasis
8240 NM-9
Luna County, New Mexico, 88029
United States
31.824063, -107.650688
Visit Website
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Nearby Places

Shrine to the Perfect Man

Columbus, New Mexico

miles away

Pancho Villa State Park

Columbus, New Mexico

miles away

The Pink Store

Puerto Palomas, Mexico

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of New Mexico

New Mexico

United States

Places 179
Stories 21

Nearby Places

Shrine to the Perfect Man

Columbus, New Mexico

miles away

Pancho Villa State Park

Columbus, New Mexico

miles away

The Pink Store

Puerto Palomas, Mexico

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of New Mexico

New Mexico

United States

Places 179
Stories 21

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