One of Austin's favorite art experiences is back to light up the brand-new Waterloo Park this fall. Creek Show will return November 12-21, organizers from Waterloo Greenway have announced.
The annual light show will make its debut at Waterloo Park, which reopened to much fanfare in August. For 10 nights in November, Austinites of all ages are invited to explore the reimagined space, which will be illuminated by a collection of fantastic light-based art installations that "explore different themes related to Waller Creek that range from history to hydrology and beyond," a release says.
We have a first look at this year's winning designs, commissioned by local architects, artists, and designers. Read about them below (with descriptions provided by Waterloo Greenway), and view the slideshow above for a peek at what you'll see this fall.
BioNest by Wevolve Labs
"Taking a craft- and material-based approach informed by a practice of research and making, BioNest responds to the biology of plants and animals found at Waller Creek in both form and material. The free-standing sculptures feature a translucent bio-plastic skin made with site-specific organic matter formed over a bent-wood frame. A lighting strategy and soundscape join the figures in conversation with each other, appearing like softly glowing lanterns in the landscape and inviting up-close curiosity. The project is an exploration in sustainable design, provoking conversation on how we can partake in the new circular economy by designing with nature, tradition, and abundant materials."
CREEKture by GFF Austin
"Throughout the decades, downtown Austin's Waller Creek has constantly faced ecological challenges affecting the wildlife that is dependent on it, including the Texas blind snake. CREEKture is a metaphor for this Austin native species as it rises from the dampened soil of the creek bed before receding back into the murky depths of the earth, allowing spectators a brief glimpse of this elusive creature. CREEKture serves as the reminder that we are simply visitors of Waller Creek and its wildlife habitat, and that we must respect their home just as how we respect our own."
HIGH LIGHT by Chioco Design and Drophouse Design
"HIGH LIGHT is an interactive installation utilizing the power of simple forms in repetition. This project repurposes the familiar material of steel pipe to create tripod arrangements that shoot up toward the sky. These tripods are arranged to create a field condition that is both engaging to the onlooker and enticing to those who seek to create a path through them."
si-glo by dwg.
"Big changes gave dwg. big ideas for a big installation. Inspired by the many thousands of new plants installed at Waterloo Park, si-glo elevates the century plant to epic proportions to celebrate the new, long-lasting life brought to this green space in the heart of Austin. Poppy, gigantic, glowing, and soft to touch, the inflatables will surprise and delight crowds while honoring Waterloo Greenway’s mission of enhancing connections between nature, art, and culture."
SWAY by SWAY (Clayton Cain and Ian Randall)
"Waller Creek exemplifies movement: the movement of water, movement of people, the movement of energy. SWAY elicits and exemplifies this movement through wind. In order to achieve this, our fixtures will be placed on the structure's existing grid to fill the canopy with motion and light, the weighted light fixtures free to sway in the breeze."
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Creek Show is free and open to the public November 12-21 from 6-10 pm nightly. Visitors are encouraged to follow local, state, and CDC COVID-19 health and safety guidelines.
"si-glo" by dwg.
