Additions continue in the Halagueño Arts Park, which had its 36th sculpture installed on Monday March 27, 2023. City crews assisted artist Kevin Box in placing Folding Planes in the Imaginarium, which is located in front of the Carlsbad Public Library. The Imaginarium includes the works of Barret DeBusk, with Channeling Frank Kindel and Spiral Spiral by Christopher Thomson.

Box has a studio located 12 miles south of Santa Fe on the Turquoise Trail. I’ve driven past the 35 acre property on my way to the funky little town of Madrid, New Mexico, always wondering if it was open to the public. Box and his wife Jennifer shared that they hope to open the studio to visitors this summer, approximately July-October in the mornings, stay tuned to their website https://outsidetheboxstudio.com/ for details on tour availability. They will be open the last two weeks of September as they participate in the Turquoise Trail Studio Tour.

An artist for 20 years, Box began his career in graphic design, then navigated to print making and eventually to sculpture and bronze casting. He jokingly shared that he uses a lost wax casting style that is a simple 35 step, 12 week process. “Sculpture takes a while, and it takes patience,” he said. He added that it takes about a year to complete a piece, regardless of it being the size of your hand or 30 feet tall.

The design concept for Folding Planes was one of his first pieces, and it tells the story of a piece of paper who had dreams of flying. In seven simple folds, a plane emerges and those folds symbolize seven choices that can be made in life. The first step is to set a goal and follow through with it. You can listen to him tell the story of Folding Planes by calling 1-888-495-7736 and choose option 11.

Box shared that it is important for people to try and fail, so that they can try again and again until they reach success. It took time, patience, and lots of trial and error to make a piece of metal look like a folded piece of paper.

Julia Heaton, committee chair for the Mayor’s Fine Arts Acquisition and Vetting (FAAV) committee shared updates on the Halagueño Arts Park. There is one more piece to acquire for the Imaginarium, and that they’ve been working with the landscape architect on plans for the final phase of the park, phase 4a. This phase is the Historical Garden and will be located west of the museum entrance. This area will feature busts of important historical figures in Carlsbad’s history, and of individuals who have helped further the arts in Carlsbad.

Heaton worked with Wren Prather-Stroud, Vice Chair for the New Mexico Arts Commission in obtaining Folding Planes as a part of the Art in Public Places program to select pieces for the Halagueño Arts Park. Two pieces that had been on loan through the program, Dart and Nautilus, have recently been gifted to the City of Carlsbad.
Folding Planes is the fifth piece brought to the park via the Art in Public Places program; other sculptures have been obtained through FAAV fundraising and private donations. The City of Carlsbad has taken great measures to assist with the process of bringing the plans for the Halagueño Arts Park to fruition.

“I’ve enjoyed the process of finding pieces for the Halagueño Arts Park. It’s an eclectic mix of pieces,” Heaton shared. “It’s important to have as many mediums in the park as possible to look at and gain inspiration from,” she added.

Usage of the Halagueño Arts Park is meant to be art related, including: visual, performing, cinematic, musical, theatrical, or Chautauqua to name a few. During summer months you can find Movies in the Park, there have been concerts in the past, an Art in the Park event, and the Saturday after Thanksgiving the annual Night of Lights celebration occurs.

Make your way down to the Halagueño Arts Park and enjoy a brief respite in nature, in the heart of downtown Carlsbad. The kinetic wind sculptures are mesmerizing to watch, the water features (turning on soon!) provide a peaceful tone amidst the urban noise, and the collection of sculptures and murals provide a beautiful backdrop to enjoy a stroll in the park.

story and photos by Michele Robertson