Entry No. 15 — the Helena file — filed under: art-immersive
Chip Clawson Sculpture Garden (Ode to Edward James)
Ceramicist Chip Clawson has spent years turning his Helena yard into a private surrealist environment inspired by Edward James's Las Pozas in Xilitla, Mexico. Behind wooden gates studded with his colorful ceramics, a curved path winds past columns and spires that tower roughly 20 feet, ceramic 'fossils' embedded in concrete arches, walls, benches, and beds of vegetables, bristlecone pines and chokecherries. It's an artist's lifelong obsession built in concrete and clay rather than a polished tourist stop.
The story
In 2015, Helena ceramicist Chip Clawson traveled down to Xilitla, Mexico, to see Las Pozas—Edward James's surrealist concrete wonderland half-swallowed by the jungle. Most tourists take a few photos and go home; Clawson came back to 202 Pine Street, grabbed a trowel, and started pouring concrete in his backyard. He wanted his own architectural surrealist environment, scaled to fit a Helena town lot and engineered to survive brutal Montana freezes.
The result is "Ode to Edward James," an obsessive, living folk-art environment tucked behind heavy wooden gates studded with custom ceramic tiles. Follow the curved concrete pathways and you'll find yourself standing beneath spires and columns that tower 20 feet above the fence line. Clawson pressed handmade ceramic "fossils" into concrete walls, arches, and benches, interspersing the heavy masonry with vegetable beds, chokecherry bushes, and bristlecone pines. It's a dense, surreal fusion of high-fire clay, raw mortar, and backyard horticulture.
What it's like
There is no ticket window or velvet rope here—you are visiting a private residential yard. The gates are kept closed, so you must call Clawson directly at 406-459-6429 in advance to arrange a visit. If he's available, you'll get a personal walk-through from the artist himself, navigating narrow paths while he points out ceramic details embedded in the concrete. Schedule your visit during the growing season when the greenery is plush around the towering spires.
The move: Call ahead to arrange a visit and wander the spires together with the artist as your guide.
📍 Before you go Private garden, not generally open to the public. Call the artist at 406-459-6429 to arrange an appointment. Best in the growing season.
- 📍 Helena
- 💸 $$
- ⚡ Up for anything
- 🌗 Indoors
Where: 202 Pine St, Helena, MT 59601
Hours: Added 2026-06-24 — confirm current hours before you go.
⚠ Seasonal or scheduled — always check before you go.
Pair it with
- Reeder's Alley Summer Series & Night Market — Pair a tour of Clawson's hand-built ceramic yard with a walk through Helena's historic 1870s brick-and-stone miner's tenements nearby.
- Devil's Kitchen Cave, Mount Helena City Park — Contrast Clawson's hand-poured concrete arches with the natural limestone formations of Devil's Kitchen Cave on Mount Helena.
- Birdseye Glass Craft — Keep the hands-on art trajectory going by booking a glassmaking session on the downtown walking mall after your garden walk.
- The Bullwhacker Statue — Head down to Last Chance Gulch afterward to check out another piece of Helena's public sculpture scene.
Good to know
How do I arrange a visit?
Because this is a private garden on residential property, you need to call Chip Clawson at 406-459-6429 ahead of time to schedule an appointment.
What inspired the garden?
Clawson built it as an homage to Las Pozas, the famous surrealist sculpture park built by British poet Edward James in the rainforest of Xilitla, Mexico, which Clawson visited in 2015.
When is the best time of year to see it?
The growing season in late spring through summer is ideal, when the vegetable gardens, chokecherry bushes, and bristlecone pines are full around the concrete structures.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: helenair.com · distinctlymontana.com · Official site · themarksproject.org
last checked: 2026-06-24