Talk about the power of crystals! Rising out of the small town of West Bend, a part of Iowa where the landscape is seldom disturbed by anything larger than a grain silo, lies the Grotto of the Redemption.
This gorgeous garden of grottos was built to honor Our Lady of Czestochowa, who came to be known as the Black Madonna because of the way she appeared in early paintings. Brother Bronislaus Luszcz literally did all the building here, using rocks, broken glass, and castoff jewelry to add to the splendor. In one of the most fitting of conclusions, the good brother passed away on the grounds while hard at work on one last sculpture.
Petersen Rock Gardens – Rasmus Petersen 1883 — 1952 Redmond, OR Environment with rocks Built: 1935 – 1952 Open to the public Castles and bridges, malachite and thundereggs, ponds and peacocks. This is one of the most underrated folk art environments in the United States….
Lacey’s Castle – Shelby Ravellette 1954- Omaha, AR Environment with rocks In the Arkansas Ozark Mountains, stone mason Shelby Ravellette spends much of his time laying rocks. Some are small, some need a front-loader to move. Many have unique characteristics, and get named. He is…
Tucked away in the Arkansas Ozark Mountains, stone mason Shelby Ravellette spends much of his time laying rocks. Some are small, some need a front-loader to move. Many have unique characteristics, and get named. He is building the Lacey Michele Castle to honor the memory…
Florence Deeble’s Rock Garden | 1900-1999 | Lucas, KS Concrete sculpture environment | Created: 1950-1999 Mri Pilar’s Garden of Isis | dates unknown | Lucas, KS Installation | Created: 2002 – present We stopped by Florence Deeble’s Rock Garden to see how it was holding…
Paul Friedlein’s Jolly Ridge (aka Inspiration Point) | 1885-1984 | Guttenberg, IARock grotto environment | Created mid 1950s – 70s Private property After leaving Dan’s we headed on south, slightly past Guttenberg on Highway 52, with hopes of finding Paul Friedlein’s Jolly Ridge (aka Inspiration Point.) …
Paul and Matilda Wegner | Paul ?-1937 and Matilda ?-1942 | near Cataract, WI Embellished concrete environment and grotto | Created 1929-1936 One of the more striking things I noticed on this particular road trip is how often I encountered other people at the grottos,…
John and Bertha Mehinger | dates unknown | Fountain City, WI Rock and concrete environment | 1933-1935 This was one of those great moments in being lost. After I left Prairie Moon Sculpture Garden, I remembered reading in Lisa Stone’s book, “Sacred Spaces & Other…
Fr. Philip Wagner | 1882-1959 and Edmund Rybicki | 1916-1991 | Rudolph, WI Grotto | Created 1928 through the 1950s After a thwarted attempt to find Tony’s Fan Fair in Steven’s Point (he passed away and his fan-filled yard had been completely dismantled) , it was time…