DURING A CROSS-COUNTRY TRIP in 2014, sculptor Taras Mychalewych’s car broke down near Columbus, a village three miles north of the U.S.–Mexico border. The car was repaired in a few days. But instead of heading back to the East Coast, Mychalewych stayed and rented a trailer on a 20-acre property outside of town. Settled into his desert home, the artist ruminated on the dearth of physical tributes to women and mothers and had an idea: Why not create a sculpture garden to thank Mother Earth—the mother of all mothers—for all she gives us? “We keep taking from the Earth and nobody says thank you,” Mychalewych explains. With the blessing of property owner Virginia Boyle, he created the Frontera Sculpture Oasis. The one-acre site is anchored by a geometric-shaped dome filled with all types of art, including paintings by Mychalewych’s family and friends. His colorful marble and concrete sculptures, such as a tower of mariachis, dot the landscape. A plaque honors all mothers “for the miracle of life, for your selflessly giving for the happiness of all.” Visitors thank Mychalewych by dropping money into a Talavera ceramic vase in front of the plaque. He recently found a note nestled among the bills and coins: “Thank you very much for a diversion during my journey.”
The Frontera Sculpture Oasis, open daily from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., is located at 8240 NM 9, in Columbus.