Artist Lists Ramshackle Off-Grid Retreat in the Catskills Wilderness for $269K

An off-grid upstate New York sanctuary built over two decades by the installation artist Matt Bua was put on the market this month, Gothamist and Artnet reported.

For just $269,000, buyers can obtain nearly 27 acres of woodlands dressed with more than 30 DIY structures made of upcycled scrap materials.

Located in a hollow near the town of Catskill, the sculpture park is an amalgamation of creations made by Bua and friends.

The repurposed city consists of bizarre, fairy-tale-like structures, including a tower lined with LP shingles, a bear made out of weaved barbed wire, a tudor-style church and a bunker made out of dirt-filled bags.

Bua told The Post in 2023 that he found the plot of land in a Pennysaver in 2006 while he was living in Brooklyn. He bought the lot for just $33,000. He tacked on an adjacent parcel later on. Bua dubbed the project “b-home Studio.”

Both parcels were listed for sale this month by real estate agents Ioanis “John” Iconomou and Angela Lanuto at Coldwell Banker Village Green Realty.

(A cabin made out of found materials.Tamara Beckwith via New York Post)

Lanuto called it “a little village under the trees,” that includes replicas of a church and a library, all using recycled materials.

Lanuto said she’s already received interest from potential buyers — local curators, downstate buyers and west coast artists have all reached out about the property.

As of now, however, the land is not permitted for full-time habitation.

“If somebody wanted to live in those buildings, they would then have to go to the town of Catskill and get the proper permits and do that,” Lanuto said.

(The installation artist, Matt Bua, in one of his creations.Tamara Beckwith via New York Post)

Ref: Artist Lists Ramshackle Off-Grid Retreat in the Catskills Wilderness for $269K

Photo Credit- Tamara Beckwith