Dear friends,
It all began when some fifteen years ago we became friends with Nikolay Silis, the renowned Russian sculptor. His studio in Moscow is a unique place bursting with creative energy, a meeting place, a melting pot. Silis inspired us by saying that "art is the only way to recapture cosmos from chaos". We loved this audacious and joyful motto of his. It was the beginning of our decision to be a part of this challenging battle.
Several years ago we had the idea of creating a sculpture park as a space that unites people and inspires them just as our old friend’s studio did. The first sculpture in our hypothetical park became Nikolay Silis’ Don Quixote—the idealistic knight who responded to the world in a way that was consistent with his own vision.
When we moved to the US we felt a need to integrate our vision into the life and culture of our new country. Our philosophy is not about collecting pieces of art. Our main goal has not been to build a traditional collection of artworks, but rather to create a community of interesting people that we can share our life and inspiration with.
During our search for a future location of the park, a friend recommended us to visit the Berkshires. We fell in love in the region's natural beauty and cultural diversity. The first site we came to check out was an old marble quarry in West Stockbridge. It seemed like an ideal location for a sculpture park—a splendid natural setting with an unusual terrain and a fascinating story.
Only later, after we had already bought the property, we found out that its address was on Moscow Road, the name of the city we came from. We took this coincidence as a sign.
Working on the park has been an opportunity to meet many talented people, each with their own story and background. We are proud to have brought together an excellent team that made this project possible. We are also extremely grateful to the local community for their warm welcome.
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!
Igor Gomberg and Katya Brezgunova