Client: City of Fort Worth, Texas

Overview

Inspired by the natural beauty and rich history of Lake Como Park, this public art installation honors local community leader William H. Wilburn Sr. This new plaza is an invitation to gather and gaze both outward and inward. At its center, a weathering steel sculpture acts as a literal and figurative frame for the community. The structure is engraved with significant text excerpts from The Lake Como Weekly archives and other historically relevant documents as well as naming the editor and founder of The Lake Como Weekly William H. Wilburn Sr. and the land donor for establishing the Lake Como Park, Amon G. Carter Sr. Benches custom carved from 100-year-old white oak offer visitors a place to sit and reflect. This is an original artwork commissioned by and included in the public art collection of the City of Fort Worth, Texas.

Goals

Neighbors aspired to showcase the unique qualities of the Lake Como community and to share its story with future generations. Recognized as the heartbeat of the neighborhood, stakeholders sought to reinforce the identity of Lake Como Park as the place for everyone to come together. Calling for an installation that, “… protects the beauty of Lake Como and recognizes its community’s heritage as a profound authority for the City of Fort Worth,” The Lake Como Public Art Master Plan prescribed a project with soul, spirit, mind, and heart. Key themes are highlighted in the engraved steel panels, as written by the Lake Como Weekly editor himself, “There should be a place where everyone can go…for after all, we are all human beings, all striving to live in peace and harmony together.”
As the Lake Como Community leaders stated, “Today, our historic African American Community celebrates the Lake Como pioneers, legends, and heroes, and embraces the diversity of our evolving community.” “Do Something Good for Your Neighbor” will celebrate that vision for generations to come.

Process

Public art is a process. The piece was designed and influenced by community stakeholder engagement, research of the archives of The Lake Como Weekly and multiple visits to the site creating an installation that reflects the communities desire to honor its past, consider the present and reach out to future residents and visitors expressing shared values best summed up by The Lake Como Weekly’s masthead artwork and namesake of the project: “Do something GOOD for your Neighbor”.