Nick Engelbert, WINo Place Like Home1881–1962 
(left to right) Nick Engelbert, Grandview (site view, Peacock, Hollandale, WI); Organ Grinder, c. 1940; concrete, glass, metal, shells, paint; 67 x 37 x 35 in.; Grandview (site view, Snow White tableau, Hollandale, WI)
Nick Engelbert (1881-1962), an Austrian-born dairy farmer who came to call Hollandale home, was moved to name his hillside farm for its “grand view”. After a visit to the eye-popping Dickeyville Grotto around 1930, Engelbert was inspired to transform his own property into his own version of a roadside attraction. He embellished the entire exterior of his farmhouse with concrete inlaid with stones, shells, and bright bits of glass. Using the same materials, he began to fill the yard with life-sized and over-life sized concrete sculptures celebrating immigrant success, farm life, tall tales, family, and fun. When age stopped Nick Engelbert from the heavy work of sculpting in concrete, he began to paint the memories of his life, which included the building of his lively environment. Related Links
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