“Of The Earth” Opens, Celebrating Relationships
Olga Ziemska’s “Of the Earth” sculpture exhibition opened on June 10, 2025, in Detroit Lakes, Minnesota, within Ortenstone Gardens & Sculpture Park. More than 150 people attended the opening alongside members of the Detroit Lakes Chamber of Commerce. The exhibit features three temporary sculptures within Ortenstone. A fourth permanent Olga Ziemska piece will be added to the park in fall 2025. Olga Ziemska is a World-renowned sculptor and the first Ortenstone artist-in-residence.
Known for her poetic and large-scale site-specific sculptures, Olga Ziemska brings a powerful voice to the global dialogue on art, ecology, and our connection to the natural world. Ziemska’s work explores the relationship between humanity and nature, challenging viewers to reconsider their place within an interconnected system. Her sculptures dissolve the boundary between body and environment, drawing on themes of ecology, biophilia, panpsychism, materiality, and identity.
Ortenstone Gardens & Sculpture Park is a 50-acre property located in Detroit Lakes, Minnesota. It is home to one of the Trolls in DL, Barefoot Frida, Jim Dolan’s metal horse sculpture, “Togetherness”, and a traveling art exhibit, Charley Harper’s “Colors & Shapes”. Ortenstone now features “Of The Earth” in bold and beautiful style through June 2026.
Ortenstone Gardens & Sculpture Park is open to the public and under development through a partnership between the City of Detroit Lakes and Project 412.
Why Ortenstone is special:
- The creation of Ortenstone Gardens & Sculpture Park was a gift to the city of Detroit Lakes from the Mark and Cindy Fritz Foundation.
- The property is named in honor of Cathy Fritz, an avid gardener and the mother of Mark Fritz, whose maiden name is Ortenstone.
- The Ortenstone Gardens & Sculpture Park property is open and under development through a partnership between the City of Detroit Lakes and Project 412.
- The lease agreement between the Mark and Cindy Fritz Foundation and the city of Detroit Lakes states the intent is for the city to utilize the property for community recreation, walking trails, Nordic skiing, snowshoeing, bicycle trail riding, community and public art displays, and as a nature park and garden for area residents and visitors. No hunting or firearms will be permitted at Ortenstone Gardens. Read the entire story.
What to look forward to:
- Walking trails leading to sculptures (like “Togetherness”), traveling art exhibits (Charley Harper’s Colors & Shapes), and other delights
- Three original Greek mythology “sprite” sculptures by Hans Gilsdorf, which will represent the three biomes existing in Detroit Lakes.
- More than 100,000 plantings of native grasses, flowers, shrubs, and trees, planned by horticulturalist and master gardener Steph Leininger, within the landscape designed by professional landscape architect Bryan Leininger.
- Opportunities to get involved with the plantings at Ortenstone this summer and fall
By the numbers:
- Over 100 volunteers spent 550-700 hours assisting Ziemska in gathering natural materials for her sculptures and planting flowers throughout the park
- 7,000 zinnias have been planted within the park
- Over 150 people attended the “Of The Earth” opening on June 10th
- Thousands of visitors have traversed Ortenstone Gardens & Sculpture Park during the past year in search of Troll in DL, Barefoot Frida
Special thanks:
- Project 412 Foundational Sponsors
- Project 412 Wave Makers
- Project 412 Carpenters & Volunteers
- DL Hotel Group
- Herzog Roofing
- T-J’s Tree Service
