Lady Bird Lake is often referred to as the heart of the City of Austin, Texas, providing thousands of residents and tourists alike with a variety of opportunities to get involved with activities on the lake and with the surrounding nature and trails. This past weekend marked the celebratory opening of the Lakes newest public art installation, Common Waters. Common Waters, a collaborative art installation, highlights the beauty and importance of Lady Bird Lake through the incorporation of art, activism, community and environment into the installation.
After a creative call was released in early January 2021, three artists were selected and announced in February 2021. Once selected, artists Rejina Thomas, Ruben Esquivel, and Taylor Davis designed, fabricated, and installed a 10-foot by 15-foot floating wetland on Lady Bird Lake. The artists were supported in this process by The Trail Conservancy, environmental artist Stacey Levy, and Austin-based curator Public City. The floating wetland, comprised of a wetland and a natural sculpture meant to resemble a nextd, was built with nuance and symbolism in every step, from the plants used on the wetland, to the shape of and materials used to build the sculpture.
Common Waters will serve as a demonstration project that will be used to inform the Trail Conservancy’s Art + Culture Plan, which Bressi is leading the process for developing. The plan will be completed in Spring 2023.
To read more about Common Waters, the installation and the artists involved, please visit The Trail Conservancy Website.
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