Sky Art at Galleta Meadows

Most of us would expect to find a wide array of art pieces in museums, not outdoors.  But this past weekend, Tom and I saw a large number of metal sculptures in a widespread area near Borrego Springs, a small desert community eighty-five miles northeast of San Diego. 

Galleta Meadows, the location of the sculptures, is a series of separate plots purchased in the 1990s by a philanthropist named Dennis Avery.   As an heir to the Avery-Dennison Corporation, he purchased three thousand acres around Borrego Springs.  He had many happy memories from the years he spent there when his children were young.  As a conservationist, he simply did not want developers to ruin the small town or its surrounding area.

But what should be done with this sandy land besides allowing it to lie there?

Well, the person who helped solve that problem was an artist/welder named Ricardo Breceda, who was originally from Durango, Mexico.  He had been employed in the construction industry in his earlier years and then as a  cowboy boot salesman before something pivotal happened in his life.  After watching Jurassic Park III, his six year-old daughter asked him to build her a dinosaur like Tyrannosaurus Rex.  With limited experience in welding, he created a T-Rex that was twenty feet tall.

It turned out so well that his metal sculpture career took off.   Somehow Mr. Avery and Mr. Breceda crossed paths and became friends.  In 2008, Avery commissioned Breceda to build metal sculptures of prehistoric beasts and place them as free-standing art in Avery’s Galleta Meadows.  Sky Art, as it is called, expanded over the years to 130 pieces, including dinosaurs, horses, elephants, camels, and Old West pioneers, to name a few.

It should be pointed out that Mr. Avery and Mr. Breceda wanted the public to easily view this special art and to view it at no cost.  To facilitate access, many dirt roads lead off the highway to the sculptures, both north and south of Borrego Springs.  There are no signs that prohibit viewing up close.  There are no admission fees.

Here are some shots that Tom took of these magnificent, detailed art pieces.

The most remarkable art piece, in our estimation, was the 350-foot sea serpent, which appears to be swimming in the sand.  It is presented in segments with part of the serpent on one side of the highway, continuing on to the other side in remaining segments.

Tom thought it would be fun to try night photography of one of the welded art pieces.  We drove out of town a few miles to a sculpture of a large, prehistoric bird grabbing a wild boar.  We had seen it earlier in the daylight.  Here is Tom’s nighttime version.  You can see the beautiful stars above.

Borrego Springs, by the way, is the only certified Dark Sky Community in California.  Measures have been taken by the town to protect the darkness for stargazers. While we could see many stars in Borrego Springs, the town itself wasn’t as dark as we would have hoped.  Perhaps if we return, we’ll find the lighting different.

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As for an update, Mr. Breceda continues to create metal sculptures in his studio in Aguanga, which is east of Temecula and south of Hemet.  He is often commissioned to create new sculptures for clients.  Besides having an on-site gallery, he also has a virtual store.  The price of a stagecoach he created is currently listed online at $100,000.  Some of his much smaller metal sculptures are sold in Borrego Springs for $100 and up.

Before Mr. Avery passed in 2012, he was able to see many of the metal sculptures in Galleta Meadows.  His family, especially his adult children, continue to be involved with the project.  Recently, Mr. Avery’s three children became board members of the Under the Sun Foundation, which was organized two years ago to provide for maintenance of the numerous statues.

One of the things I learned about Mr. Avery during my research was that he loved seeing families enjoying themselves.  Mr. Avery, along with the talented artistry of Mr. Breceda, definitely created a place where people of all ages can smile, laugh, wonder, and imagine.