History
The idea for an outdoor sculpture museum came to artist Larry Griffis while he was touring Italy with his family. While watching his children play on the ruins of Emperor Hadrian’s villa, Griffis realized the value of interactive art. As Simon Griffis recalls, his father said, "This is absolutely remarkable. Look at my kids. I've taken them to the finest museums and galleries but they've come alive in this environment where they can interact and they can smell the flowers and they can touch things."
Upon returning to the United States, Larry Griffis looked at many possible sites for the park, but had a vision that included site-specific terrain. He required a combination of valleys, woods, lake and open space. Kissing Bridge Ski Resort and Lewiston’s Art Park were possible candidates for the vision, but were passed over by the artist.
In 1966, Griffis purchased 100 acres (0.40 km2) of Ashford Hollow in the Southern Tier of Western New York and placed 15 of his own 25 feet (7.6 m) welded steel works on a hillside along a country road. The Ashford Hollow Foundation acquired another 325 acres (1.32 km2) and drummed up commissions for additional sculptures.
Read more about this topic: Griffis Sculpture Park
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