Client: Fort Worth Public Art

Overview

10 mosaic columns that mark places where water crosses under the parkway and 6 Bridge monuments with 2 major mosaics each make up the project. Images of water fowl and water-related creatures found in the Trinity River watershed produced in glass mosaics are inspired by local photographers’ photos. Sculptures cap the columns.

Goals

The Fort Worth area is the watershed for the Trinity River in this part of Texas, but evidence is often hidden. Along the Chisholm Trail Parkway, a tollway constructed by NTTA, the artwork strives to mark areas where water crosses the parkway, either in creeks, culverts or "forks" of the river. The artwork provides colored mosaic images of water fowl and other creatures found in the watershed on 6 bridge monuments (with 12 major mosaics each) and 10 columns.

Process

The images for the artwork were provided through a call to photographers for images of various water fowl and creatures and the artist selected those she wished to work with. The photographers were paid use fees for their images, and the artist used them as inspiration for the mosaics. She also collaborated closely with the engineering project managers, architects, community members, city and NTTA engineers and project managers on various aspects of the project. The fabricators were Franz Mayer of Munich, whose mosaic artists the artist collaborated during the fabrication process.

Additional Information

Logistics for installation became a much larger factor than anticipated as the parkway opened before the mosaics were able to be installed. The German and Italian installation crew had to deal with access, lack of infrastructure, water, electricity; the vagaries of weather and uncertain schedules.