Goldwell Museum and Rhyolite, NV

As promised I'll do what will probably be a couple of long blogs on the sights around Beatty, NV. Beatty itself only has a population of around 1000 people and many, many burros. We met one couple who lives here and had a delicious breakfast with them at Mel's Diner. If you are ever in Beatty eat breakfast or lunch there. 
Before I forget, one of the pictures I took yesterday was of our WORKING nav/back up camera system. Finally. It has a one year warranty. Hope we don't need to use it. 
This morning bright and early before it reached the 100+'s we went out to the ghost town. Just before reaching it is the Goldwell Open Air Museum. To read more about it click here. One reason I wanted to go there was so that Bill could get some good drone pictures of it. Imagine our surprise when the drone told Bill "This is an extremely restricted area. Not allowed to fly."  And the drone would only go a few feet off the ground and the camera and video refused to work. Seems like we are too close to the Nevada Air Force test and training range.
The entrance to the museum

Also at the entrance of the museum. Across the gravel road from picture above. What is it you ask?

 Well it is shoes, lots and lots of shoes. 

The gift shop, only open on the week ends - maybe. 

This is "Icara" it represents a female counterpoint to the Greek myth of Iccarus, the boy who tried to fly to the sun with wings bound with wax. Figure was hand carved on site 1992 by Dre Peeters

This is "Ghost Rider" constructed by a local Beatty resident 1984 Albert Szukolski.

In the back ground you can see The Last Supper. More about it later.

This wasn't here the last time we were here years ago. It is Called "Sit Here!" It was originally created for the Children's Museum in Las Vegas by Sofie Siegmann. Then moved to here in 2007 where it was restored and is maintained.  

 The back side of it. All pieces of broken tiles.

 See the tiny doll?

 This part is mostly made of broken mirror.

 Casino chips? Poker chips?

I took the back of this group yesterday. Appears to be a church going group. I can find no information about them. 

 Their heads are burlap sacks. All are dressed in staid black and white. On the lower left corner of the platform is a block that looks like it might be depicting a book. 

The man on the right has longer hair and a wispy beard. I can't tell what he is holding, something made out of burlap. The lady has on high heels. Her dress has lace sleeves. 

This is "Lady Desert:The Venus of Nevada. It refers back to classical Greek sculpture while maintaining a pixilated prescence in the high tech world of the 21st Century. By Dr Hugh Heyrman 1992. Hey, I'm just copying the information. She is a bright pink with yellow hair [in two places.]

 Again the next couple of things I can't find any information on. But as with everything else here they are intriguing. 

 A closer look at the faces. 

 A metal bird of some sort. 

My favorite. The Last Supper. a ghostly interpretation of Christ and his disciples against the backdrop of the Amargosa Valley. 

The beginning of the museum in 1984. a major sculpture by Belgian artist Albert Sukalski. Szukalski died in 2000.A non profit now owns the sculptures and the buildings on this site. It continues to maintain and expand the collection and programs.

 To make the life sized fugues he wrapped live models in fabric soaked in wet plaster and posed them as in the painting. When the plaster set, the model was slipped out, leaving the rigid shroud that surrounded him.  The figures were then coated with fiberglass.
The back of the figures, you can see some of the supporting metal. 

 The painter is facing the Last Supper piece. 

 Another statement of some sort, no information on it. Took a while to do I bet.

 And the final piece I took a picture of - missed a few things while there. This is "Tribute to Shorty Harris" by Fred Bervoets 1994. Shorty was a legendary prospector in Rhyolite. His hopeful comapnion, a penguin, reflects the optimism of the miners' endeavor. 

 And thus ends our tour of the Goldwell Open Air Museum. I really enjoyed it, just wish the drone would have cooperated.
Not going to write about the ghost town, will save that for later or tomorrow. Tomorrow early we will leave here to cross Death Valley to Lone Pine, CA.