The best places to see outdoor sculptures this fall
When Reed Hastings purchased a $100 million majority ownership stake in Utah’s Powder Mountain, he expressed a desire to both improve the mountain for all its visitors and ensure the slopes maintained the level of seclusion that regular visitors knew and loved.
“This is an investment in what we consider to be the ultimate skier experience,” Hastings, the co-founder and former CEO of Netflix (NFLX), said in 2023. “We’re looking to accentuate what has always made it special. We’ll do that by making it more easily accessible, by bolstering infrastructure and amenities, and by maintaining the uncrowded feel Powder Mountain is known for.”
The construction of an outdoor art exhibition that will be integrated into the mountain’s skiing and hiking trails is one of the most prominent developments at Powder Mountain. Primarily funded by Hastings, the sculpture park will be incorporated throughout the mountain’s 8,464 acres.
“We want this to be an experience that will be impossible to do in a single day,” art curator Matthew Thompson told the Guardian in September.
“This is such a tremendous opportunity to really think about commissioning work in dialogue with seasonal rhythms,” he continued. “I want to think about that different sense of time that you get up in the mountains, when you’re really thinking about geological time.”
The sculpture park is expected to have a soft launch later this year before fully opening to guests in autumn 2025. The installation of art pieces is already happening — prominent artists such as Nancy Holt, Paul McCarthy, and James Turrell have all been tapped to contribute to the project.
The sculpture exhibition will be closed during the mountain’s summer mud season but will otherwise remain open for guests to view, while they’re also skiing and hiking.
“I’m really interested in the different kinds of mental and perceptual bodily states that you enter into when you’re particularly active,” Thompson told the Guardian. “How your focus narrows, your sense of time flows — I’m excited to see how that impacts someone’s art-viewing experience.”
While Powder Mountain’s exhibitions are still under construction, it is far from the first organization to incorporate art into the natural world.
Continue reading to learn more about five outdoor sculpture museums you can visit this fall.
Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park
Where is it?
Grand Rapids, Michigan
What’s on display?
This 158-acre park features intricate gardens, incorporating works by artists such as Edgar Degas and Auguste Rodin. From Sept. 23, 2024, through March 2, 2025, there will be an exhibition of more than 40 sculptures, along with related pieces, by artist David Smith.
Storm King Art Center
Where is it?
New Windsor, New York
What’s on display?
First built in the 1960s, this 500-acre outdoor museum has showcased the works of prominent artists including Maya Lin, Alexander Calder, and Barbara Hepworth. The museum’s current exhibition, “Arlene Shechet: Girl Group,” will be on display through Nov. 10.
The Stuart Collection
Where is it?
La Jolla, California
What’s on display?
Dozens of prominent artists have been featured at the Stuart Collection, but the museum also places significant emphasis on younger artists. The Stuart Collection recently commissioned projects by sculptor Max Hooper Schneider; poet, artist, and chef Precious Okoyomon; and artist collective RojoNegro for the inaugural Emerging Artists program.
Glenstone Museum
Where is it?
Potomac, Maryland
What’s on display?
This 300-acre museum features the works of artists including Janet Cardiff, Jeff Koons, and Ellsworth Kelly. Admission is always free, and the museum frequently hosts programming featuring live music. In October, three exhibits are scheduled to open, featuring the art of Melvin Edwards, Cady Noland, and Lorraine O’Grady.
The Ann and Jim Goodnight Park at the North Carolina Museum of Art
Where is it?
Raleigh, North Carolina
What’s on display?
This 164-acre park integrates distinctive outdoor sculptures with natural flora and fauna in an effort to explore how humans interact with the natural world. In addition to featuring sculptures, the museum’s Access Eco Trail educates visitors about the natural environment of North Carolina.