Paul Albright, Gateway
New York M​​ills Regional Cultural Center Sculpture Park
North Broadway Avenue & U.S. 10 & County Road 67, New York Mills, MN 56567, US-10, New York Mills, MN 5656746.524118474080964, -95.36847629246806

“Gateway” focuses on the importance of white pine and how it changed the very landscape of rural Minnesota. The land was once covered in white pine which for hundreds of years provided habitat for wildlife and critical materials for Native people. As lumber demands increased, rural Minnesota forests became a prime logging location for companies all over the United States. Clear cutting of these old growth forests forever changed the landscape and the way of life for Native people. This sculpture represents both growth and change. Passing through the “Gateway” marks the passing of time and transformation. This work will be permanently installed as a tribute to the white pine, and all the people whose lives have been uniquely tied to the land and forest–past, present and future.

Paul Albright is a master woodcarver living and working in Akeley, Minnesota that creates dynamic and dimensional works of naturalist art out of wood and natural materials. He has been a sculptor for more than 30 years.