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Public Art Exhibits
The Town of Parker believes that the permanent placement of art in public places serves to enrich, stimulate, and enhance the aesthetic experience in the Town. Public art also contributes to the Town's economic draw and is an ongoing educational tool for the community.
Art Encounters is a year-long outdoor sculpture exhibit that showcases a number of sculptures, in various media and styles, displayed in highly visible areas in Castle Rock, Highlands Ranch, Lone Tree and Parker. The project is designed to promote public interest in art, develop community pride and draw visitors to the retail or civic areas where they are displayed. The public is invited to view the art in the program and vote for their favorite piece by visiting www.douglas.co.us/artencounters. Artists are encouraged to submit entries in January of each year via www.callforentry.org.
From June 2016 through May 2017, the Town of Parker is exhibiting seven sculptures at various locations along Mainstreet to highlight Parker’s growing Creative District at Old Town.
By J. Aaron Alderman
Material: Steel and copper
Location: O'Brien Park
Artist Comment: "I see the birds as part of the soul or spirit or as representations of self. The Home bird inside, protected or trapped. The Forager bird free or unprotected. The birds, a mating pair, leaving or coming together, visually connected as they look at each other."
By Jimmy Descant
Material: Found object assemblage
Location: Mainstreet near Pikes Peak Drive
Artist Comment: "The sculpture is a tribute to first responder firemen. It is actually a working sprinkler sprayer with many facets and can be hooked up to a garden hose. I find parts and objects in flea markets, garage sales, junkyards and even in the trash. I see in these parts the future, rising again in technology, space travel, and quality of workmanship."
By Clarence Hughes
Material: Steel
Location: Mainstreet, in front of The Schoolhouse
Artist Comment: "The sculpture was inspired by an axiom I have shared with my children. Life is full of opportunities and challenges, like windows and doors, some are small and transparent, while others are large and daunting. They will all in time open and close. It is your choice which ones to pass through."
Purgatory/China
By Matthew Duffy
Material: Re-appropriated stainless steel ShopVac, recycled glass
Location: Mainstreet near Victorian Drive East
(Artist Comment to be added)
Cascajal Tablets
By Michael Sharber
Material: Iron and cast concrete
Location: Mainstreet in front of PACE Center
Artist Comment: "This sculpture contains an ikon for shelter, a simple house form, along with tablets that contain elements from the Cascajal Text, a 3,000 year-old writing system discovered in Veracruz, Mexico. I have an ongoing fascination with the architecture of place and these ancient glyphs. This piece has a simple movement element built into the tablets when the wind blows. "
By Sandy Friedman
Material: Steel
Location: Mainstreet in front of PACE
Artist Comment: "The environment of Colorado and the Southwest significantly influences my work. I draw from the energy of our environment - the mountains, sky, weather, plains, etc. My sculpture represents the energy found in totems and the interaction of the negative spaces created by the sculpture's shapes. Elements in the sculpture represent moments in time, father sky, mother earth and the vastness of the land."
By Michael Sharber
Materials: Iron, cast resin, cedar
Location: Mainstreet in front of Town Hall
Artist Comment: "This sculpture has its seed in my long relationship with curious ravens and their animal intelligence. The red and white Italian poles are whimsical and act as a perch for two raven forms that are making a study of items on the table below. Ravens and humans both have a love for odd and colorful objects, and once found, they take them back to the nest."
To learn more about the Douglas County Art Encounters Program click here.
Permanent Public Art
Harmony Park Musical Classroom is an interactive public art exhibit installed on the PACE Center’s East Patio. Harmony Park was created by the Freenotes Company of Hesperus, Colorado. These outdoor wind and percussion instruments are weatherproof and designed to be played together easily because they are tuned to the pentatonic scale. There are no wrong notes, all of the sounds are harmonious and knowledge of music, keys or scales is not necessary. The sounds are mellow and ethereal so as not to disturb others. All instruments are wheelchair accessible, and they can even be a tool for music therapy to improve cognitive ability, communication and motor skills.
“Nucleus” by Tim Upham of Fort Collins was installed in front of the PACE Center in May 2012. The 24-foot tall multi-colored spiral fuses art with science and is lit by halogen and LED lights. Upham makes site-specific public art and he has incorporated some of the leftover building materials from the PACE Center construction into the sculpture.
This sculpture by Lee Proctor is inspired by the spring time dance of the Sandhill Crane. It is also a celebration of the incredible displays and rituals of all bird life. And beyond that it symbolizes the art of dance in all it’s myriad of forms, from ancient indigenous cultures dancing by the fire to modern day ballet. The sculpture was a public favorite of the 2014-15 Art Encounters exhibit and Town Council purchased it in May 2015. Its permanent home is now the plaza on the west side of The Schoolhouse.
In June 2010, artist Adam Schultz was commissioned to produce an innovative public art sculpture for the Town of Parker’s new Police Station. Schultz’s creation, “Freedom through Safety,” features a life-sized bronze eagle in flight, held aloft 14 feet in the air on two vertical stainless steel pillars. One pillar represents safety and the other symbolizes strength. The base of the sculpture includes a “circle of hands” -- tiles pressed with hand prints of local community members from young children to senior citizens, metaphorically representing the support and involvement of the community.
A bronze statue of Dr. Walter Heath, an integral character in Parker history, is displayed on the northeast corner of Mainstreet and Pikes Peak Place. Created by local artist Don Budy, this project was made possible by Parker Adventist Hospital, Dr. Heath’s grandchildren, Edward V. Heath and Clair Heath Fink, David A. Van Landschoot and Stevan Strain.
Denver artist Emmett Culligan donated his piece titled “Colid #7” to the PACE Center in 2013. The sculpture is placed on Pine Drive at the western entrance to PACE.
Culligan's art often focuses on the manipulation of metal, wood, stone and glass, and references common forms found in everyday life. He says, “Within my work, an emphasis is placed on the natural inherent qualities of material interacting formally to access human emotion and spirituality.”
In 2015, artist Mario Miguel Echevarria won the commission to create a piece of public art for the Parker Recreation Center's new indoor Leisure Pool. Inspired by kids' love of animals and a desire to celebrate Colorado's native aquatic species, he created a three-part piece in which kid power is amplified by the uniquely amazing skills of Colorado's river and lake inhabitants. You'll find a boy flying with a Painted Turtle, a girl surfing with a Cutthroat Trout, and a girl riding on a Clark's Grebe. The works are crafted from ceramic tile and aluminum sheet. As the artist says "When people see a kid surfing on a fish the size of a VW Bug, they will never look at a trout the same way again!"
Ball and Jacks
Art Encounters
Art Encounters is a year-long outdoor sculpture exhibit that showcases a number of sculptures, in various media and styles, displayed in highly visible areas in Castle Rock, Highlands Ranch, Lone Tree and Parker. The project is designed to promote public interest in art, develop community pride and draw visitors to the retail or civic areas where they are displayed. The public is invited to view the art in the program and vote for their favorite piece by visiting www.douglas.co.us/artencounters. Artists are encouraged to submit entries in January of each year via www.callforentry.org.
From June 2016 through May 2017, the Town of Parker is exhibiting seven sculptures at various locations along Mainstreet to highlight Parker’s growing Creative District at Old Town.
Home and the Forager
By J. Aaron Alderman
Material: Steel and copper
Location: O'Brien Park
Artist Comment: "I see the birds as part of the soul or spirit or as representations of self. The Home bird inside, protected or trapped. The Forager bird free or unprotected. The birds, a mating pair, leaving or coming together, visually connected as they look at each other."
The Deluxe Spray-It Fire Rocketship
By Jimmy Descant
Material: Found object assemblage
Location: Mainstreet near Pikes Peak Drive
Artist Comment: "The sculpture is a tribute to first responder firemen. It is actually a working sprinkler sprayer with many facets and can be hooked up to a garden hose. I find parts and objects in flea markets, garage sales, junkyards and even in the trash. I see in these parts the future, rising again in technology, space travel, and quality of workmanship."
Passages
By Clarence Hughes
Material: Steel
Location: Mainstreet, in front of The Schoolhouse
Artist Comment: "The sculpture was inspired by an axiom I have shared with my children. Life is full of opportunities and challenges, like windows and doors, some are small and transparent, while others are large and daunting. They will all in time open and close. It is your choice which ones to pass through."
Purgatory/China
By Matthew DuffyMaterial: Re-appropriated stainless steel ShopVac, recycled glass
Location: Mainstreet near Victorian Drive East
(Artist Comment to be added)
Cascajal Tablets
By Michael SharberMaterial: Iron and cast concrete
Location: Mainstreet in front of PACE Center
Artist Comment: "This sculpture contains an ikon for shelter, a simple house form, along with tablets that contain elements from the Cascajal Text, a 3,000 year-old writing system discovered in Veracruz, Mexico. I have an ongoing fascination with the architecture of place and these ancient glyphs. This piece has a simple movement element built into the tablets when the wind blows. "
I'm Dreaming With My Brain Awake
By Sandy Friedman
Material: Steel
Location: Mainstreet in front of PACE
Artist Comment: "The environment of Colorado and the Southwest significantly influences my work. I draw from the energy of our environment - the mountains, sky, weather, plains, etc. My sculpture represents the energy found in totems and the interaction of the negative spaces created by the sculpture's shapes. Elements in the sculpture represent moments in time, father sky, mother earth and the vastness of the land."
Raven Gate
By Michael Sharber
Materials: Iron, cast resin, cedar
Location: Mainstreet in front of Town Hall
Artist Comment: "This sculpture has its seed in my long relationship with curious ravens and their animal intelligence. The red and white Italian poles are whimsical and act as a perch for two raven forms that are making a study of items on the table below. Ravens and humans both have a love for odd and colorful objects, and once found, they take them back to the nest."
To learn more about the Douglas County Art Encounters Program click here.
Permanent Public Art
Harmony Park
Harmony Park Musical Classroom is an interactive public art exhibit installed on the PACE Center’s East Patio. Harmony Park was created by the Freenotes Company of Hesperus, Colorado. These outdoor wind and percussion instruments are weatherproof and designed to be played together easily because they are tuned to the pentatonic scale. There are no wrong notes, all of the sounds are harmonious and knowledge of music, keys or scales is not necessary. The sounds are mellow and ethereal so as not to disturb others. All instruments are wheelchair accessible, and they can even be a tool for music therapy to improve cognitive ability, communication and motor skills.
Nucleus
“Nucleus” by Tim Upham of Fort Collins was installed in front of the PACE Center in May 2012. The 24-foot tall multi-colored spiral fuses art with science and is lit by halogen and LED lights. Upham makes site-specific public art and he has incorporated some of the leftover building materials from the PACE Center construction into the sculpture.
The Dance
This sculpture by Lee Proctor is inspired by the spring time dance of the Sandhill Crane. It is also a celebration of the incredible displays and rituals of all bird life. And beyond that it symbolizes the art of dance in all it’s myriad of forms, from ancient indigenous cultures dancing by the fire to modern day ballet. The sculpture was a public favorite of the 2014-15 Art Encounters exhibit and Town Council purchased it in May 2015. Its permanent home is now the plaza on the west side of The Schoolhouse.
Freedom Through Safety
In June 2010, artist Adam Schultz was commissioned to produce an innovative public art sculpture for the Town of Parker’s new Police Station. Schultz’s creation, “Freedom through Safety,” features a life-sized bronze eagle in flight, held aloft 14 feet in the air on two vertical stainless steel pillars. One pillar represents safety and the other symbolizes strength. The base of the sculpture includes a “circle of hands” -- tiles pressed with hand prints of local community members from young children to senior citizens, metaphorically representing the support and involvement of the community.
Dr. Heath
A bronze statue of Dr. Walter Heath, an integral character in Parker history, is displayed on the northeast corner of Mainstreet and Pikes Peak Place. Created by local artist Don Budy, this project was made possible by Parker Adventist Hospital, Dr. Heath’s grandchildren, Edward V. Heath and Clair Heath Fink, David A. Van Landschoot and Stevan Strain.
Colid #7
Denver artist Emmett Culligan donated his piece titled “Colid #7” to the PACE Center in 2013. The sculpture is placed on Pine Drive at the western entrance to PACE.
Culligan's art often focuses on the manipulation of metal, wood, stone and glass, and references common forms found in everyday life. He says, “Within my work, an emphasis is placed on the natural inherent qualities of material interacting formally to access human emotion and spirituality.”
Somewhere Down The Lazy River
In 2015, artist Mario Miguel Echevarria won the commission to create a piece of public art for the Parker Recreation Center's new indoor Leisure Pool. Inspired by kids' love of animals and a desire to celebrate Colorado's native aquatic species, he created a three-part piece in which kid power is amplified by the uniquely amazing skills of Colorado's river and lake inhabitants. You'll find a boy flying with a Painted Turtle, a girl surfing with a Cutthroat Trout, and a girl riding on a Clark's Grebe. The works are crafted from ceramic tile and aluminum sheet. As the artist says "When people see a kid surfing on a fish the size of a VW Bug, they will never look at a trout the same way again!"