Thursday, July 26, 2018

The Great Wide Open Sculpture Valley

My art and life partner Kyle Cunniff are embarking on our most ambitious art collaboration yet - a 40 acre sculpture park in close proximity to the Great Sand Dunes National Park near where we currently live and create our art. This latest project will combine all of our talents, passions and push our imagination to the next level and beyond! Below is part of the view from our property - pretty wild!


We have called the San Luis Valley home for the last two years. The landscape here is unlike any place we have lived before. It is more vast than the unfamiliar eye can grasp. It is surrounded by mountains in every direction - the Sangre De Cristo Range to the East  and the San Juans to the West. Most incredibly, it is home to one of the most unique natural wonders I've ever experienced - the Great Sand Dunes which are the tallest dunes in North America.


Here in the valley is where we began creating outdoor sculpture, something we've been wanting to dive into for years but were only able to begin experimenting with in our spacious art studio in Alamosa. When it came time to photograph our first collaborative sculpture, it seemed only natural do do it among the brush with the majestic 14,344ft Blanca Peak in the background. This mountain is the landmark feature in this part of the valley and is so close to where we live.



We've been busy cleaning up the property and creating a small road. Progress has been slow, but steady. Right now its just Kyle and me working when we can but probably the biggest factor in our timeline is actually the smallest - our beautiful nine month old son who only allows us to work on the property for a couple hours a day. This will of course change once we build him, his very own sculptural playground but lets not get ahead of ourselves ... yet ... Despite some limiting factors, we are determined and with each hour we are getting closer to start adding sculptural accents to this lovely patch of land.


With the completion of each new sculpture, we've been taking more photos in the great wide open landscape of the valley. During each photo-shoot, we were mesmerized by how incredible the colorful sculpture looked set among the earth-tone landscape of the high dessert of the valley. My mind began to race with possibilities. Quickly the idea of a sculpture park evolved during our conversations of what is next for the K&K Team!



Being out in this kind of great, wide open landscape is unlike other experiences in the outdoors. There is something unique in the desert air that calls for the creative juices to flow. We heard the wind call upon us and set into action! No idea big or small was ever realized with out effort and enthusiasm. We have both. The gears are in motion as we work to sprinkle colorful sculpture among the lovely and very hardy brush.



We've began work on the property and have preliminary plans of the first 10 sculpture that we'll be adding to the park by the end of 2018. I will post updates here as well as on the Enchanted Valley Sculpture Park website (name to be determined yet). Sculpture Sponsorship will be available as well as other opportunities to contribute to this truly unique project. 

Meanwhile if you would like to help support the park, purchasing my art via my online shop is the best way to help propel this project forward: https://www.kasiapolkowskashop.com/ 

To entice support, I will be having a HUGE SALE next week to help raise funds for the first stages of the park. If you'd like to help in other ways, please email me at kpolkowska@gmail.com

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