At various points along the banks of Buffalo Bayou, there are thoughtful, recognizable pieces of public art. You have likely seen the Jaume Plensa Tolerance sculptures at Montrose/Studemont lit up at dusk, the bronze Henry Moore Spindle sculpture near Eleanor Tinsley Park, or the Open Channel Flow by Matthew Geller near the skate park.
In recent months, trail users have also enjoyed the extension of the artful Lunar Cycle lighting which is nearly complete. In early 2014, Houston artist John Runnels crowned the Crosby Outfall entrance to the park with an elegant, 20-foot stainless steel canoe sculpture which resembles his other 10 canoes adorning various bayou access points.
In the coming months, newly commissioned work by artist Anthony Thompson Shumate will be installed in the park. Monumental Moments is a series of five human-scale word sculptures. The single word thoughts – Explore, Endure, Pause, Reflect, Listen, Emerge, and Observe – will be placed at ground level in unexpected areas along the asphalt footpaths. The four-foot-tall sculptures feature turn-of-the century capital serif type.
With funding from The Brown Foundation, improvements are being made to the “Cistern” – an 87,500-square, 25-foot high former City of Houston underground water reservoir that is located below the signature Sky Lawn at The Work Works. Buffalo Bayou Partnership plans to transform the Cistern into an art space that will house temporary art installations.
Additionally, artist Donald Lipski has been engaged to create The Periscope, an installation housed on the Sky Lawn at The Water Works that would allow users to peer into the depths of the Cistern. The periscope will be housed in a trellised structure creating a shady, welcoming space. Stay tuned for more details!
One of the most anticipated aspects to be featured during the grand opening celebration of Buffalo Bayou Park will be an illuminated procession designed by New York-based Processional Arts Workshop (PAW) – an artistic organization created in 2005 whose mission is to expand and develop the art of pageant puppetry.
