Client: Waller Creek Conservancy

Location: Austin, TX, United States

Completion date: 2016

Project Team

Art Consultant

Ingrid Spencer, curator

Architect

Dharmesh Patel, Associate AIA

ANIMALIS

Artist

Autumn Ewalt

ANIMALIS

Artist

Kory Bieg, AIA

Architect

Tim Derrington, AIA & LEED AP

EAST SIDE COLLECTIVE

Landscape Architect

Alisa West

WEST SHOP

Artist

Travis Cook

COOK SHOP

Overview

Creek Show, a 10 night event featuring site-specific, temporary light-based art installations designed by Austin-based architects, designers, and landscape architects, was created to bring attention to the Waller Creek Conservancy's mission and revitalization of Waller Creek. The five installations spanned 5th to 8th streets through downtown Austin. More than 10,000 people attended Creek Show 2016 in November. To find out more, visit creekshow.com.

Goals

Creek Show is based on bringing these types of collaborative works into the creek to inform, delight, and educate people about an abandoned area of Austin that will soon be redeveloped. The series will continue to involve architects, landscape architects, and artists by commissioning these types of installations, and the temporary works will be site specific and relate to the creek itself. For the first time, Creek Show 2017 will include a public Call for Ideas beginning in January 2017.

Process

Ingrid Spencer, along with a Curatorial Team, selected the 2016 designers. Each of the five teams came up with their own design idea, and while each individual team created it, they all supported and helped each other along the way, making this a very positive, collaborative experience.

Additional Information

Waller Creek is a one-and-a-half mile waterway in downtown Austin that is being revitalized and transformed by Waller Creek Conservancy in coordination with the City of Austin. The Conservancy was formed to be stewards of the parks district that will include more than 37 acres of revitalized green space and more than three miles of hike and bike trails. Designed by Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates and Thomas Phifer & Partners, the Waller Creek parks district will become fully accessible public spaces along a beautifully restored and ecologically sustainable waterway.