San Juan Island behind the Scenes – the fabulous Sculpture Park

We recently had the absolute pleasure to get a “behind the scenes” tour of the San Juan Islands Sculpture Park from David Jenkins, board member, resident poet, creator of the Starfish Project, where kids can make their own sculptures, and flower wizard of the park.

The 20-acre Sculpture Park, founded in 2001, is exclusively financed by donations and receives over 70,000 visitors from all over the world each year. Of the 150 sculptures on display, most are on consignment, around ¼ are owned by the park, approximately 10 sell each year and 10 new ones are curated. So if you happpen to be in the market for a 20-foot grizzly bear statue for your yard, give David a holler.

The park is dog-friendly and can be reserved for birthday parties, receptions and community groups for up to 100 people for a donation. It also lends itself so well to family picnics with its many, semi-private, one-of-a-kind benches overlooking the water and the gorgeous art.

The San Juan Islands Sculpture Park collaborates with the fantastic Island Museum of Arts, as well as the whimsical Alchemy Art Center for their free Summer Arts programs geared towards families and kids. In fact, 500 kids crafted tiles for two years to create this cool Salmon sculpture!

David and crew planted over 8,000 daffodils throughout the park to ring in the Spring. Next, wildflowers will begin to emerge along the five trails, then the Irises as well as the Rhodies and butterfly bushes. Something is always in bloom! Many plants are donated, including the newly planted Red Woods and Sequoias along the property line, to preserve those majestic trees for future generations.

The park is also a birders paradise. Blue Herons perch elegantly by the pond, almost indistinguishable from the sculptures around. Raptors ride thermals high above. David mounted Blue Bird and Wood Duck nesting boxes throughout the property to increase habitat with great success. Local birder, Tyler Davis, identified over 100 bird species calling the park their home. Hint: if all of this piques your interest, Tyler gives free birding tours in Summer every first Wednesday of the month at 8:00am.

Stunning Blue Heron Sculpture on San Juan Island

On the banks of said pond find “I’ve been kissed”, the gorgeous statue of a frog, who, after being kissed, is in the process of transitioning into a human.

Nearby find the live size carvings of the fins of resident orcas we lost over the years by the talented arborist Jim Burgess, a stunning tribute. Jim is currently working on Granny’s fin. Granny was the oldest known resident Orca and died in 2016 at 105 years old. Look forward to visiting Granny’s fin later this Summer.

One of my favorite installations is the Tibetan Wishing Urn circle, where you can write down a wish, put it in one of the stunning urns and spin it to make it come true. I may have made a few wishes there myself over the years.

In addition to the curated art, there are the Whimsy Woods, a forest patch of 8 acres, where a local group (of fairies?) decorates with ever-changing installations and thought provoking exhibitions.

The five trails winding through woods and fields along beautiful Westcott Bay, are lined with David’s intriguing poetry. In addition, every three years the winners of the isle’s poetry contest are displayed in a poetry circle near the Sound Henge sculpture. What a powerful experience.

The mix of natural beauty, interactive and thought-provoking sculptures, poetry, and wildlife make the San Juan Islands Sculpture Park a true gem of San Juan Island. Don’t miss it.