History
The
Goldwell Open Air Museum is a 7.8 acre outdoor sculpture
site near the ghost town of Rhyolite, Nevada, approximately
115 miles north of Las Vegas. It began in 1984 with the
creation and installation of a major sculpture, The Last
Supper, by Belgian artist Albert Szukalski, which is a ghostly
interpretation of Christ and his disciples sited against
the backdrop of the expansive Amargosa Valley.
To make the life-size ghost figures, Szukalski wrapped live models in fabric soaked in wet plaster and posed them as in the painting "The Last Supper" by Leonardo Da Vinci. When the plaster set, the model was slipped out, leaving the rigid shroud that surrounded him. With more refining, Szukalski then coated the figures with fiberglass making them impervious to weather.
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In subsequent years, six additional pieces were added to the site by three other Belgian artists who, like Szukalski, were major figures in European art with extensive exhibition records, but who chose to create in relative obscurity in the Nevada desert near Death Valley in the early 1990s. All of the artworks have a contextual relationship to this specific environment. They are meant to be viewed within this particular landscape.
For Albert , “America” and “The West” represented a place of ultimate freedom where he had permission to pursue his artistic vision unfettered by historical precedent or convention. Goldwell remains this kind of place for those who continue to choose to create out here. We welcome you to experience it for yourself.
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About
the Organization
Charles
Morgan and Suzanne Hackett became involved with the Museum
in 1994 while conducting a survey of the outdoor sculpture
in Southern Nevada for the national "Save Outdoor Sculpture!"
project, sponsored by the Nevada Arts Council, the Smithsonian
Institution, and the National Institute for the Conservation
of Cultural property. In 1996, they organized an exhibition
at the Contemporary Arts Collective in Las Vegas about the
site, established a website for the Museum, and helped it
gain recognition on a national scale.
Albert Szukalksi died in January 2000, and the Goldwell
property and its artworks came into the sole ownership of
Albert's business partner who lives in Amargosa Valley.
An agreement was reached in March 2000 to establish a 501(c)3
organization to which the partner planned to donate the property and ownership of the artworks. The museum's
long-range plan includes offering an artist residency program,
publications, public workshops and educational programs,
and a fine art press.
The Museum received its federal tax exemption in April 2001.
With its 501(c)3 designation as a public charity, the Museum
is eligible to receive public support in the form of grants
and individual contributions, enabling it to grow into a
viable cultural asset for the residents of Nye County and
its visitors.
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Board
of Directors
Charles
Morgan,
President
Anita Getzler, Vice President, Education
Richard
Stephens,
Vice President, Community
Suzanne
Hackett,
Secretary-Treasurer
Christine Nottage ,
Director
Denise Duarte,
Director
David Lancaster,
Director
Jason Lee Mitchell, Director
Lin Ledbetter-Pyatt, Director
Sean Jones, Director
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Advisory
Board
Kim
Abeles
Joni Eastley
William L. Fox
Marilyn Bancel
Eric Strain
Jim Stanford
Andrea Morse
Catherine Borg
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Current
Projects
Red Barn Art Center Artist Workspace
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Federal Tax ID # 91-2069830
Goldwell Open Air Museum
Near the ghost town of Rhyolite, Nevada
Mailing Address:
P.O. Box 405
Beatty, NV 89003
Email: goldwellatgoldwellmuseumdotorg
Telephone: (702) 870-9946
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