An Annual Must-Do: Visit To Griffis Sculpture Park

Griffis Sculpture Park in Cattaraugus County is one of the nation’s largest sculpture parks. Inspired by a family trip to Hadrian’s Village in Italy, Larry Griffis Jr. returned to Western New York and established a sculpture park in 1966 so that other families could commune with art and nature.

Over the years the Ashford Hollow Foundation, which manages the park, has acquired nearby tracts of land and farmhouses that come up for sale. The park has grown from an initial 200 acres to its current size of 475 acres. It has preserved a pocket of wilderness in an area which is seeing rapid and rampant development, much of it from nearby Ellicotville.

“Ours was one of the first sculpture parks in the nation,” says executive director Simon Griffis. “Now there are hundreds across the country. Some are arranged more like golf courses. My father wanted to remove the barrier of intimidation viewers have to artwork.” Park goers are encouraged to interact with the sculptures. Children are allowed to climb over them as they would in a jungle gym.

On the way to the main park, one drives past the Rohr Hill Road entrance populated with enormous totem-like metal works. Visitors are greeted by sculptures of the king and queen of the park, mother nature and father art.

Portions of the park reach an elevation of 2,100 feet. Because of the altitude, several of their ponds are classified as alpine wetlands. Wildflowers abound. Throughout the spring and summer the air is fragrant with honeysuckle. Strawberry plants grow like weeds and the berries can be eaten off the vine, if one finds them before the rabbits do. There’s an apple orchard, too.

Trails winds amog sculptures and natural features such as open vistas, streams, and ancient trees. Next to one of the trails one finds a grove of princess pines. These small precious plants only grow four to six inches tall and are nearly endangered.

“We have a mix of abstract and representational works,” says Griffis. Larry Griffis, Jr.’s work ranges from family casts to Amazons, bathers, and insects. Other sculptors in the park include well known local and international artists such as Leon Gerst, Duayne Hatchett, Tony Patterson, Glenn Zweygert, Joe Perone, and Maria Hall.

Because the sculptures are not confined in a gallery, light shifting over them during different times of day and throughout the year will affect how one views them. “It’s amazing to see how the pieces speak to the seasons,” Griffis says.

The park’s flora and fauna also impact the works. One ceramic piece by local artist Elliot Hutton currently has a family of birds nesting within its hollow cavity.

Most sculptures are part of the park’s permanent collection. Recently, student work from UB, Buffalo State, and the Boys and Girls Club of Erie County have been temporarily displayed and, with the foundation’s approval, purchased for the collection.

The park is also an educational facility. Simon Griffis has been working with all 17 branches of the Boys and Girls Club of Erie County and the Buffalo Public Schools to bring arts education to more than 4,000 students annually. Some are at-risk youth. Students are engaged in everything from printmaking to welding and even bronze casting.

Student ages range from four to 17 years old. “We modify the programming to make it age appropriate for the kids,” says education coordinator James Pisaturo, who came to the park via Buffalo State. The foundation works with the teaching college of Buffalo State, which provides staff to guide school groups through the park.

Griffis is proud to point out that several of the students they’ve worked with from the Boys and Girls Clubs have gone onto college and some have even gone onto become welders.

“Unfortunately, whenever there is a budget crisis, funding for the arts is one of the first items to be cut back,” he says. “We’ve shown that the arts have opened up a lot of opportunities for the kids.”

Griffis commends the Oishei Foundation and Assemblyman Sam Hoyt’s office for providing funding for student activities.

New to the park are three cabins donated by Jean Knox, constructed with the help of Frank Fantauzzi of UB’s architecture department and his students. The cabins allow for visiting artists to retreat and create and students to camp anywhere from overnight to a week. As an example of the sensitivity they have to the vegetation, the decks of the cabins were built around nearby trees so as to not cut them down.

“Some children have never experienced the outdoors like this,” says Griffis. In streams that flow throughout the park, Griffis and Pisaturo demonstrated that shell fossils could be found everywhere. “These are nature’s way of casting and molding,” says Griffis. Some of the fossils date back to 450 million years before the age of dinosaurs.

Woodpeckers, eagles, owls, and other birds of prey inhabit the park. Pisaturo who has taken up residency at the park adds, “In the morning the atmosphere is electrified with birdsong.”

There are also adult programs, such as classes devoted to identifying edible plant species and teaching survival skills. The Audobon Society regularly conducts nature watching workshops. Concerts and wine tasting events are held at a staging area in the park.

Griffis Sculpture Park is an idyllic way to spend a summer’s day interacting with art and wildlife in a scenic pastoral setting.

The park is located at 6902 Mill Valley Road in East Otto. Take the I-90 to the 219 South exit. Continue along the 219 into Springville, across a bridge over Cattaraugus Creek into Ashford Hollow, and onto Ahrens Road, where you’ll see signs for the park posted. A donation of $5 is suggested (667-2808 / griffispark.org).