Sun & Stone Art: Unlock Your Creativity!

by Asya L. Simons, Park Guide & School Programs Coordinator, Garden of the Gods Park

For the first time ever (in 2026), visitors to the Garden of the Gods had the chance to pair the magic of the sun with the science of the natural world in our brand-new Sun & Stone Art program.

Participants in the program create two separate art projects to take home with them. The first uses ~super magical~ cyanotype paper to create compositions using ~super magical~ natural objects. And by super magical I of course mean they facilitated a chemical reaction, which is basically the same thing. When objects are placed on top of the paper and exposed to UV rays, they create shadowed images – giving the artists a unique perspective on simple items found in the Park. (Technically you have to rinse the paper too, but that’s not the interesting part).

While the first project was drying (because of that not-interesting rinsing part), artists had the chance to reimagine botanical patterns through shadow drawings. What impressions can you make from the shadows of towering pine trees and sprawling prairie grasses? The possibilities are limited only by your imagination (and a little bit by the sun and what plants are blooming, I guess).

If you’re sitting here thinking “that sounds really cool! I wonder if I can give it a shot?” I have great news for you. The program was so popular in June that we decided to extend it into July! The program runs every Monday morning at 10 am, and reservations can be made on the Garden of the Gods website – we can’t wait to see you soon!