Public art stirs our imaginings and lends a sense of place, promoting civic pride and reflecting who we are as a community. Fort Worth Public Art (FWPA), a City of Fort Worth program administered by the Arts Council of Fort Worth, has enriched the visual environment for residents and visitors, celebrated the city's rich cultural and ethnic diversity, and fostered artfully designed infrastructure since its inception in 2001.
Two Fort Worth Public Art projects, Wind Roundabout on Henderson Street and Trinity Water Fowls on the Chisholm Trail Parkway, are now complete.
The second phase of installation of Wind Roundabout by California-based artist and sculptor, Ned Kahn, was dedicated on Dec. 10. The large-scale, kinetic sculpture is located on the new roundabout at the intersection of Henderson Street and White Settlement Road.
During Phase II, thousands of small anodized aluminum, hinged plates were hung one at a time from steel tension cables attached to the 30-foot tall by 30-foot diameter stainless steel support structure that was installed last spring during Phase I. The surface of Wind Roundabout moves with the direction and force of the wind. The columnar "veil" of the rectangular aluminum plates creates a dynamic visual pattern as the wind blows through it and glistens in the sunlight during the day. At night, they reflect the soft glow of ambient light from passing cars and future surrounding buildings.
Kahn makes natural forces visible in his work by using elements such as water, wind, fire and sand, he says.
The City of Fort Worth commissioned Wind Roundabout for the long-awaited Panther Island Bridges project, part of the Trinity River Vision Master Plan. The sculpture provides a visual focal point for motorists using the roundabout and hints at things to come with the redevelopment of Panther Island.
Twelve large-scale mosaic murals on the East Clear Fork Crossing bridge monuments, just east of University Boulevard, are now complete. Dedication is planned for early March 2016. The series, titled Trinity Water Fowls, by Seattle-based artist Norie Sato, is part of a public art project commissioned by the City of Fort Worth for the new Chisholm Trail Parkway.
Phase I of the Chisholm Trail Parkway public art project began in 2014, with the installation of mosaics on eight columnar water crossing markers along the parkway. Each marker features an image of wildlife from the Trinity River Watershed.
Each of the six bridge monuments features two large glass and stone mosaic murals and smaller mosaic panels on all four sides. Sato's designs were inspired by images taken by 18 local photographers.
Placed where the roadway crosses streams and tributaries of the Trinity River, Water Crossing Markers and Trinity Water Fowls appear to motorists as subtle visual reminders of the parkway's surrounding natural environment. The markers begin at the Montgomery Street westbound entrance ramp and continue along the parkway to FM 1187.
To learn more about FWPA, visit fwpublicart.org.
At top: Wind Roundabout on Henderson Street -Images courtesy of Ralph Lauer
