Ryah Christensen created this stone and glass mosaic as part of a publicly commissioned art project along downtown Second Street near Brazos Street.[/caption]
A permanent piece of art will be created by two Austin artists in Eilers Neighborhood Park as part of the city-funded
Art in Public Places program.
Husband-and-wife team Ryah Christensen and Sun McColgin of
Pandora Studios were selected to create the art piece at Eilers Park, an 8-acre property along Lady Bird Lake that has served as the longtime home of Deep Eddy Pool. The new work will reflect the history and nostalgia of the longtime park, which was purchased by the city in 1935, according to the
Friends of Eilers Park website.
Sun McColgin created this privately funded steel art piece entitled "Invisible Womb" in 2013.[/caption]
The city-commissioned artwork has a $56,400 budget and is expected to be completed by 2016. The artists said in a statement they hope to create an art piece that connects the site's history with its present and future uses.
"We would like to create an artwork at this site that pays homage to the idea of Deep Eddy as a gift—from the earth to us, from Eilers to the city of Austin, from the city to everyone," the couple said in a statement.
This is not the first time Christensen and McColgin have been commissioned for city-funded permanent art pieces. Their work can also be found along downtown sidewalks in the
2nd Street District.
The project will occur in conjunction with a Parks and Recreation Department initiative to renovate the play and picnic areas of Eilers Park. The city department will design and construct a nature-based play structure, add ADA-compliant walkways and ramps and add new park signage,
among other proposed improvements.
Learn more about the city's Cultural Arts Division and its publicly funded art programs
here.