Sculpture park success requires a mind for business and an eye for beauty
In tiny Madrid, New Mexico, on the Turquoise Trail between Albuquerque and Santa Fe, a tiny lot nestled off the main road is home to Connie’s Photo Park. Between sleepy galleries and vintage diners, the photo park is an excellent place for visitors to stretch their legs and giggle with loved ones as they stick their faces into the gaps on a dozen hand-painted portraits of Southwestern scenes. These small moments of interaction with public art and local creativity add extra flavor for travelers, and allow tourists and locals alike to make memories. This could be in Madrid in the middle of the high desert, or at Cloud Gate, lovingly dubbed The Bean, in downtown Chicago.
Sculpture parks occupy a gray area in civic life. At first glance, it may seem like a straightforward process to incorporate art into public spaces, or to acquire land to adorn with sculptures. In actuality, designing a place for both art and nature leads to nuanced planning that the founders of these institutions often don’t anticipate at the outset.
