Brunel Sculpture Garden: Resurrecting a Roadside Attraction

Kaatscast: the Catskills Podcast

Nearly a century ago, famed photographer and innovator Emile Brunel purchased Boiceville's Brown Hotel and transformed it into Le Chalet Indien, a world-class resort frequented by famed artists and politicians of the day. Brunel's fascination with Native American culture manifested in an adjoining sculpture park, which still stands and is now stewarded by the Friends of Brunel Park, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.

Even concrete is no match for a hundred years of Catskills weather, though, and the sculptures and totems Brunel left behind were in desperate need of restoration. So, co-founders Cynthia and Evgeny Nikitin organized a matching donation fundraising campaign to save the collection for future generations.

Anthony Mennella and his team were hired to rehabilitate the largest of the sculptures, transforming the space from a "delightful ruin," to a welcoming, lush garden of plants and sculpted works.

Join us at Brunel Park, where we met up with co-founder Cynthia Nikitin and mason Anthony Mennella. Then, make a point to see this iconic roadside attraction for yourself!

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• Hanford Mills Museum
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• Catskill Mountains Scenic Byway

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