When Jael Hoffmann began displaying her sculptures outside her home in Olancha, California, it was mostly because she’d run out of space inside her workshop. Never one to enjoy the process of trying to sell her works, she thought at least maybe someone driving by on the sleepy stretch of Highway 395 might glimpse something they liked — and want to buy it.

Hoffmann’s hunch was right: She’s sold some of her works right there on the side of the road. But what she created ended up being much more than a store for her art. The Olancha Sculpture Garden has become a beloved roadside attraction that’s facilitated long-term friendships and given people hope and inspiration when they needed it most. But now, this art haven could soon disappear, as Hoffmann’s put the property up for sale. 

Highway 395 is punctuated with plenty of roadside oddities that get most of their visits from travelers making their way from Los Angeles to Mammoth and back. But in the past year, after Caltrans debuted a four-lane bypass to speed up traffic and improve safety, motorists now entirely skip over Olancha, a town of fewer than 150 people. It’s hurt Olancha businesses that once relied on passersby, and now, the tiny hamlet may lose its main attraction. 

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FILE: The Olancha Sculpture Garden in Olancha, Calif.

The Olancha Sculpture Garden in Olancha, Calif.

At Hoffman’s garden, metal sculptures rise out of the high desert floor, each one commanding attention with sharp angles or brightly colored limbs, set against the backdrop of the Sierra’s snowcapped mountains. If Dr. Seuss binge-watched episodes of “Futurama” and then wandered into a desert scrapyard, the whimsical........

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