The sculpture “Ghost Rider” by Albert Szukalski is among the installations at the free, always-open Goldwell Open Air Museum near Rhyolite.
Friday, Dec. 18, 2009 | 2 a.m.
How far from Las Vegas: About 125 miles. North on U.S. 95 to Beatty, then west on East Main Street, also known as State Route 374.
Why: Just outside of Rhyolite, a ghost town off the road leading to Death Valley National Park, a group of prominent Belgian artists, led by the late Albert Szukalski, created seven outdoor sculptures against the backdrop of the vast upper Mojave Desert. Contemporary U.S. artists later added to the free, always-open outdoor gallery. The works include a life-size, ghostly interpretation of Da Vinci’s “Last Supper,” a 25-foot tall pink woman made of cinder blocks, a 24-foot high steel prospector accompanied by a penguin, a blossoming tangle of gleaming chrome car parts, and a carved winged woman reaching for the sun from high atop a wooden pillar. Can be easily combined with a trip to Death Valley and Rhyolite.
Why now: It’s the time of year when it’s least crowded and the dramatic impact of Goldwell is enhanced by the stark first days of winter. Artists are due to arrive Sunday from Ithaca, N.Y., but they most likely will not have an open studio until January.
More information: goldwellmuseum.org
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