Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
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
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
CAPTION
Life on the borderlands at 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
A piece from the Frontera Sculpture Oasis.   ianlefk / Atlas Obscura User
A sign welcoming visitors to the Frontera Sculpture Oasis.   ianlefk / Atlas Obscura User
Frontera Sculpture Oasis   ianlefk / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

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.

Related Tags

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

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • https://heartsoftheworldunited.org/
Frontera Sculpture Oasis
8240 NM-9
Luna County, New Mexico, 88029
United States
31.824063, -107.650688
Visit Website
Get Directions

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

Related Stories and Lists

12 Sculptures Made From Recycled Materials

List

By Jonathan Carey

Related Places

  • A view of the sculpture garden.

    Brooklyn, New York

    Columbia Street Waterfront District Sculpture Garden

    This eclectic sculpture garden in Brooklyn, home to a bizarre collection of art, was once a run-down junkyard.

  • The pond at Shisa park.

    Ishigaki, Japan

    Yonekoyaki Craft Center Shisa Park

    Along the side of the road on a small Japanese island is an extensive garden of uniquely designed Shisa statues.

  • The Raven’s Nest.

    Reykjavik, Iceland

    The Raven's Nest

    This oceanside Reykjavik spot is speckled with recycled sculptures and large stones.

  • VW Beetle Spider.

    Erie, Pennsylvania

    Schaefer's Auto Art

    A quirky collection of outsider art made from automobile parts.

  • The entrance to the sanctuary.

    Goshen, Massachusetts

    Three Sisters Sanctuary

    A stunning garden filled with fantastical environmental folk art and sculptures.

  • Rectory Nurseries.

    Ashton-in-Makerfield, England

    Rectory Nurseries

    Quirky outsider art transforms this garden shop into a little stone fantasyland.

  • Oranki Art.

    Pello, Finland

    Oranki Art

    A little-known sculpture park of contemporary environmental art in a Lapland forest.

  • A view of Opus 40 from the eastern edge of the quarry

    Saugerties, New York

    Opus 40

    One man's swirling six-acre monument of stone.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.