On a three-and-a-half-acre property of riparian meadows, lawns, and woodlands in Taos, New Mexico, the artist, poet, and sculptor, Thomas Burnham French, has created more than fourteen environmental landscape sculptures. Working with his friend, Erilauro Alvarez, the sculptures are constructed of various natural stone and micaceous quartz boulders from the local region. Contemplative and quiet, Riverbend Sculpture Gardens celebrates the beauty and serenity of nature. Created to evoke an impression of sacredness, it is an homage to the Earth and the intricately interwoven circle of life that sustains us.
Throughout antiquity, humans have erected stone arrangements to create sacred space, often as places for ritual. By pairing large, vertical standing stones, their bases sunken and stabilized deep within soil, the opening between them signifies a space where energies of Earth and heavens mingle. Circles of lichen covered stones around central stones symbolize cycles of time. In other large, mounded sculptures, pathways lead inward to a center stone set on a stone pedestal, evoking a sense of sacredness. Walkways leading into the center are made from cobbles of fine siltstone, each sedimentary face etched with various patterns from water movement when this region, many millions of years ago, was an inland sea. Almost all the stonework and installations have been done by hand, except for some exceptionally large stones that were set using a small loader with forks and wide canvas straps.
At Riverbend Sculpture Gardens, many gardens adorn woodlands, lawns, and along the edge of a large meadow. Stone terraces and landings have benches to sit upon that overlook pools in the small river, the Rio Pueblo, which swells to a torrent in spring when snow melts on the mountains. Two spillways of basalt and granite boulders cross the river creating cascades so the sound of water echoes through woodlands and into open meadows.
We invite you to join Thomas to explore this exceptional and unique sculpture garden. Wear comfy shoes and be prepared to enjoy the monumental stoneworks he has created.
This year we are requesting a modest $10 registration fee from members to attend each of these tours as a means of fundraising. The funds raised will benefit the operations of the club and will provide resources for community projects. Each member will be encouraged to bring one non-paying guest to attend each tour in the hopes that this exposure will incentivize increased membership. There will be a need for up to 3 docents. If you sign up as a docent, you will not pay $10 and you will assist with parking and/or guiding visitors around the garden.