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Above: A sculpture of Don Quixote by Nikolai Silis was one of the first pieces installed at the quarry-turned-art park, and remains on permanent exhibition.

September and October are months made for getting outside. The hottest days are (almost) behind us, and the shorter, cooler days are still on the horizon. The air is clear and crisp. There’s nothing better than getting out to explore this amazing part of the world we live in.

A place at the top of my list in every season, but especially late summer, is TurnPark Art Space in West Stockbridge, MA. I learned about it shortly after it opened in 2017, and was enchanted from the moment I pulled into the parking lot on my first visit. It has a vibe. 

Don’t tell anyone!

Now in its ninth season, TurnPark has come into its own in so many ways, and yet it is always seeking to grow. It has a devoted following, and its long-time admirers are often more interested in keeping it a secret than offering it up to bigger audiences. But there’s a joy in sharing it, too, and like a child whose enthusiasm for something can’t be ignored, TurnPark will tug at you until you yield. From there, well, its charms will bring you back again and again.

What the heck is it about the place that’s so amazing? Lots of things.

It’s a beautiful park. Come just to walk through it and marvel at the varied terrain. It’s a 16-acre property that was once a marble quarry, so there are lots of rocky outcrops and backdrops. There are also open expanses and copses of young trees, and you often feel like you’re in a secret garden – but not one that’s uber-groomed. It’s a wild-ish place where you really feel free to be you. If that sounds odd or pretentious, well, so be it. You’ll understand once you’ve been there.

It’s a marvelous sculpture park. It was founded by art collectors Igor Gomberg and Katya Brezgunova. They never forgot an experience of visiting with the Russian artist Nikolai Silis at his studio in Moscow, where his studio was, for them, “a unique place bursting with creative energy, a meeting place, a melting pot.” They were further inspired by Silis’s telling them that “art is the only way to recapture cosmos from chaos.” It became a kind of mission for them: How could they create such a space and place in their own lives?

They were living in Boston and exploring what else was possible for their artistic callings. When they discovered the quarry property in West Stockbridge – on Moscow Road, of all things – they knew it was where their mission had to play out. 

A place to elevate

Igor and Katya share, “Our dream, ignited by Silis’s vision, was to create a place for an artistic experiment, a place that would elevate us and our children towards the terrains of new discoveries, a place that could trigger artistic growth and development. If you are curious, open-minded or just are a lover of life or a lover of art, we invite you to join us in the making of TurnPark Art Space!”

The first piece of art they installed in the park was a Nikolai Silis sculpture of Don Quixote. For repeat visitors, coming upon the piece is like visiting an old friend. He’s still there! And on repeat visits you’ll discover that while the sculpture hasn’t changed much, you may have. 

TurnPark features a permanent and rotating collection of modern and contemporary sculptures. While Igor and Katya have a special connection to and interest in Eastern European and Russian émigré artists who are known for rejecting the state-sanctioned art of the USSR – and their works are part of the Park – there are works by American artists and artists from around the world. Seeing the diversity of works and artists in the outdoor environment brings that much more to the works. 

Being there

It’s an architectural marvel. Once you’re parked, you enter through a building called the Gate House. It’s a space that includes indoor galleries, an amphitheater, restrooms, and a gift shop. It was designed by Alexander Konstantinov, a Moscow-based sculptor and architect. While Konstantinov developed the master plan, it was Grigori Fateyev of Art Forms Architecture who was hands-on in leading the development and construction of the Gate House. It’s a piece of art in and of itself. 

But wait, there’s more!

Besides the art throughout the park, TurnPark is a showcase for contemporary artists in its galleries. Through October are a couple of shows. 

In the Gate House gallery is a show of the contemporary mixed-media artist John Clarke’s works titled “Passing Through.” Clarke combines drawing, painting, photography, and sound to create multi-layered landscapes. In this exhibition, the source of the sound will be what is generated by the nearby Massachusetts Turnpike. Clarke will be working at TurnPark so that visitors can experience his creative process. (Contact TurnPark directly or follow on social media to learn more about watching Clarke in action.)

Also on display through October in the Garage Gallery will be a show called “Daily Deviation” by Martine Kaczynski. The show is billed as “a selection of work which challenges and navigates our psychological interaction with architecture and the semiotics of the constructed world.” Kaczynski grew up in London. Her parents were Holocaust survivors who fled Germany and, upon entering England, formed a community in London. Kaczynski describes that environment as having a “haunting history … [that] left an indelible mark on who I am and how I see the world.” 

She says that, “The work is my reaction to those very things that should offer a sense of security, yet do the opposite, and set into motion the varied complexities best described by the word ‘unheimlich,’ which literally means not homely.”

Alive and moving

TurnPark is a performance space. There’s live music and theater; dance performances; art talks and film screenings; community and family events – all as creative and quirky and magical as the park on any day. 

TurnPark hosts an outdoor film series on the last Thursday of every month through the summer, concluding with one on September 25. The series is called “Movies That Can Change Who You Are,” and the films are chosen by Fima Furman, who is the head of the Boston Cinema Lovers Club. Shown in the park’s beautiful amphitheater (cushions and blankets are provided on a first-come, first-served basis, and popcorn and beverages are available for purchase), September’s selection is Jim Jarmusch’s 2003 film, Coffee and Cigarettes. It’s a collection of vignettes celebrating connections to the shared ritual of coffee and cigarettes. 

On Friday, October 3, visitors are invited to Turtle Island – an outdoor performance celebrating the Haudenosaunee Creation Story that will include an inflatable puppet brought to life through traditional dance and storytelling. 

The magic of TurnPark is magnified again on October 11, when the Fairy House Festival is happening. Fairy houses designed by local artists and community members will be set up throughout the park, and there will be interactive workshops, storytelling sessions, and live performances all day to accentuate the whimsy and wonder of fairy houses. 

What are you waiting for?

A beautiful park. A provocative yet peaceful sculpture park. A performance space. A gathering place. A creative community. An oasis of places. All this and more is TurnPark Art Space. Oh, and it’s in the charming town of West Stockbridge, MA. In addition to stores and restaurants worth visiting, the town has a farmer’s market on Thursdays from 3 to 6pm until October 2.

TurnPark Art Space is a member of the American Alliance of Museums. The address is 2 Moscow Road, West Stockbridge, MA. Follow the park on Facebook and Instagram, or go to the website at turnpark.com. Learn more about West Stockbridge at visitweststockbridge.com.