He has become a fixture in the community since his installation 25 years ago. The large sculpture of a boy in a ball cap, half-submerged in the grass median at the intersection of Woodlands Parkway and South Panther Creek Drive, stares up at the sky.

"It's definitely a sign post, mainly because it epitomizes the way people feel here," said Tony Motto, owner of SculpTours and author of 'The Woodlands Outdoor Sculptures.' "It's a place people come to relax to get away from the hustle and bustle."

Motto said "The Dreamer" was installed at the intersection in 1989, chosen by The Woodlands Development Company's selection committee to mark what was the farthest western boundary of The Woodlands.

"Panther Creek had just been incorporated, and they wanted something that showed that this is the outward boundary at the time," Motto said. "They definitely wanted it to be highly visible."

Artist David Phelps, of Oklahoma, sculpted the figure from a wax bronze casting. Motto said the sculpture is two separate pieces, a trademark of the artist, who likes to leave a piece of his artwork for viewers to finish themselves.

"The Dreamer" may be distinctive to The Woodlands' residents, but Motto said Phelps constructed two identical structures that are displayed in Philadelphia, Pa. and Santa Fe, N.M. A larger, shirtless version of the sculpture is also displayed in Oklahoma City, Okla.

"I always tell people that ours is a triplet, but he's also got an older brother," Motto said.

The bronze boy has been associated with the community for 25 years, but Motto said "The Dreamer" was not one of the first sculptures selected by the Development Company. A concept he brought with him from the University of Houston, Coulson Tough came up with the idea to fund public art projects from a small portion of land contracts for large developments. The Development Company began selecting sculptures and setting aside small land contracts for the funding of public art in 1974.

Aside from "The Rise of the Midgard Serpent" on Lake Woodlands, Motto said he believes "The Dreamer" is perhaps the most recognizable.

"[It's recognizable] mainly because it's realistic and it's so unique because it's not all there, but it really is," Motto said. "People find it a lot easier to relate to than a lot of the other abstract [sculptures]."

For more information on the sculpture or other public art in The Woodlands, visit www.woodlandsart.com. For more information on artist David Phelps, go to www.phelpssculpture.com.