The Open-Air Art Museum at Pedvale was opened by sculptor Ojars Arvids Feldbergs in 1991 and is now a State Historical Monument. Its 100 hectares are covered with tilled fields, blooming meadows, gentle slopes and deep ravines, rolling hills, a winding river, forests with birds and wildlife. It is an ideal place in which creative professionals, — sculptors, painters, printmakers, installation and performance artists — are free to express themselves. The museum conceptually integrates the artistic and cultural heritage and the natural setting into a unified whole. The requirement for participating artists is that they incorporate their works into the unique settings of the natural environment. Artists working at the museum are encouraged to draw their inspiration from nature and to use local materials. The simple, rustic setting that is available to the artists and visitors is comprised of a small hotel, a restaurant, a conference hall, and picnic areas. The permanent collection of the Museum includes more than 150 works of art that have been created during symposia, workshops and pleinairs. It also includes an exhibition of the works by Ojars Feldbergs and temporary exhibits by local and foreign artists. The Open-Air Art Museum at Pedvale is a unique place where each visitor has an exciting opportunity to observe the interaction between nature and art. Each year Pedvale Museum chooses a theme for the artists to base their creative work on. From 2001 to 2004 Pedvale Museum carried out the “Prime Elements of the World – Fire, Water, Air and Earth” project, with each element being the inspiration for one year.
