...for City of Southlake news, business, and community happenings.
-
- Public Art
Thursday, March 23, 2023
Maintaining green, clean, and safe public parks is our daily mission.
There’s nothing Parks professionals love more than seeing our community get outside and enjoy our world-class parks facilities. This week’s featured park is a beautiful space for outdoor lovers and sports enthusiasts!
North Park is next to the Southlake DPS North Training Center and is Southlake’s newest community park. Completed in September 2012, the park serves as a fantastic amenity to the surrounding neighborhoods of Estes Park and Oak Pointe. Those who live around that area have surely noticed North Park’s distinctive Tuscan villa-inspired concession building, but that’s not the only feature that makes it outstanding!
This spacious community park is an asset to the community and a local example of superior park design. Complete with three lighted multi-purpose sports fields, various walking trails, a unique playground, a large pond, and generous open play space, North Park has it all! In addition, North Park hosts our recreation flag football games and the Southlake Carroll Lacrosse Association’s lacrosse games!
North Park is not just for the athletically gifted, however. Art and architecture admirers will find a hidden gem within the Italian tower of the North Park Villa. While its primary function is for concessions and restroom amenities, it’s also the home to one of our Public Art collection pieces. Next time you find yourself at North Park, be on the lookout for Janice Hart Melito’s gorgeous “Longhorn Bass Relief.”
Whether you’re a Lacrosse fan, enjoy the gnome-themed playground, are on the lookout for unique public art, or enjoy walking around outside, North Park is a world-class green space for the Southlake community,
Make sure to pencil in an outing to North Park this week!
Community programming is a quintessential aspect of Parks and Recreation. The goal of the Community Services team is to create world-class experiences for our residents and participants.
Recently, the Community Services Department learned that it won two awards from the Texas Recreation and Parks Society North Region. The Southlake Senior Activity Center’s Floral Friends Program won the Excellence in Programming Award (Class II). The Southlake Arts Council won the Arts and Humanities Programming Award (Class II) for the Southlake Presents Art Show and Competition.
These two awards represent our community’s commitment to excellence in the field of Recreation. We are proud to receive this recognition because these two programs highlight the extraordinary efforts of Southlake residents.
Let’s learn a bit more about each award.
Floral Friends Program
The Floral Friends program is simple. Every week, a senior center member picks up unsold flowers from a local grocer through a community partnership and delivers them to the Senior Activity Center. Once dropped off, another group of volunteer seniors works on arranging the flowers into masterpieces that elevate the visitor experience at Legends Hall.
The Floral Friends program unites our senior volunteers through the common goals of learning, taking pride in their shared space, and bringing joy to those who utilize the facility. They work hard to make the Senior Activity Center at The Marq a home away from home for visitors and employees alike! This cost-neutral program also strengthened community relations and improved waste reduction while providing vital social and creative interactions for our active adults. The benefits of this program are three-fold. It builds a long-lasting partnership with a local business, reduces waste by utilizing unsellable flowers through an in-kind donation, provides an avenue for a low-to-no-cost program for the senior center, and brings our Senior community joy. Talent-sharing, catering to the needs of our senior community and supporting our local businesses perfectly tie into the City of Southlake’s Strategy Map principle of Partnership and Volunteerism.
The Southlake Senior Activity Center is so proud of our Floral Friends volunteers for being recognized for their dedication to beautifying our shared spaces.
Southlake Presents Art Show and Competition
The Southlake Presents Art Show and Competition was the brainchild of the Southlake Arts Council. It was brought to life by a partnership that included City staff, Arts Council members, the APEX Arts League, and local Southlake artists. The Southlake Arts Council desired to emphasize the significance of the arts in Southlake by mounting a public art exhibit that only featured pieces created by Southlake residents for the first time. Planning began in early 2022, and the application period lasted from January to March 15. The program was advertised on the City’s social media, the Experience Southlake website, and My Southlake News.
Twenty-four local artists entered over 70 original pieces into the competition by the time the deadline rolled around. The Southlake Arts Council selected 15 unique pieces ranging from oil and watercolor on canvas, photography, and mixed media, to quilt art for the exhibit.
In addition to the exhibit, the City of Southlake, the Southlake Arts Council, and the APEX Arts League partner to provide a public art reception to kick off every new public art display in the Town Hall. The Southlake Presents Art Show Reception was on Sunday, May 1, at 5:00 PM in the Town Hall Lobby. Participating artists and their families came to celebrate their art and answer questions.
Congratulations to our Senior Activity Center Floral Friends volunteers and the Southlake Arts Council for being recognized for your extraordinary commitment to strengthening our community.
The Community Services Department will publicly accept both awards at the TRAPS North Region Conference at the Irving Convention Center on Thursday, November 3.
Both native Texans and transplants know there’s nothing like a Texas storm. Whether our Texas weather excites or frightens you, there’s no denying the Lone Star sky is spectacular, especially during inclement weather.
The Southlake Arts Council, in collaboration with the APEX Arts League, is proud to present the Fall 2022 Public Art Exhibit, “Chasing the Texas Sky,” by DFW photographer and storm chaser Justin Terveen. Terveen’s photographs of the Dallas skyline, the Western United States, and storm-filled clouds are instantly recognizable thanks to his unique perspective and adventurous spirit.
This exciting photography exhibit will be displayed in the Town Hall lobby from September 12- October 28, 2022.
Those wanting to learn more about Terveen’s process are invited to join the artist and the Southlake Arts Council for a free Public Art Reception on Sunday, October 2, from 5:00-6:30 PM in the Town Hall Lobby. Light refreshments will be served.
To learn more about Justin Terveen, visit www.justinterveen.com.
Art-lovers in Southlake know that Public Art is a priority for our City. Our roundabouts, state-of-the-art facilities, and the Town Hall Lobby are perfect examples of how art is prominent in our community.
The Southlake Arts Council has been hard at work preparing a brand-new free art exhibit for the community, and you might just run into familiar faces. The Arts Council proudly invites you to attend the first-ever Southlake Presents Art Show Reception on Sunday, May 1 at 5:00 PM in Town Hall.
Join us at the Town Hall Lobby for an evening of art appreciation, music, and light refreshments! The best part? Every artist featured in the exhibit is a local Southlake resident! The Southlake Arts Council received over 70 art submissions from 24 local artists this Spring. From those incredible submissions, fifteen artists were selected as featured artists for the Southlake Presents Art Show.
Here’s a sneak peek at the artists that make up the Southlake Presents Exhibit:
Don’t miss your opportunity to meet the artists and your neighbors as you marvel at the incredible artistic talent that resides in our City.
The Southlake Presents Art Show Exhibit is in the Southlake Town Hall lobby from April 29 to July 1, 2022. The Southlake Arts Council and the APEX Arts League are the sponsors for The Southlake Presents Art Reception. See you Sunday!
On Wednesday, August 11, the City of Southlake hosted a public art dedication for Hunter Brown’s “Take Off,” and the new fountain at Park Village.
City Council members, Arts Council members, and representatives from ShopCore gathered at Park Village to dedicate Southlake’s latest public art piece and new Park Village fountain. Mayor Pro-Tem Chad Patton opened the ceremony, followed by remarks by Arts Council Chairperson Tamara McMillan and ShopCore Vice President of Property Management Chris Dykstra.
Patton expressed enthusiasm at the prospect of children playing near the fountain as their parents dined in one of Park Village’s many restaurants.
“It’s great to see this beautiful place come to life!” Patton said.
Dykstra thanked the City for their continuous support of Park Village and the installment of public art in this popular Southlake destination.
Tamara McMillan provided an in-depth description of the new piece and the Arts Council’s role in public art procurement in the city. City Council appointed the Arts Council to advise on all matters related to public art in Southlake. The Hotel Occupancy Tax funds all public art initiatives, including sculptures like “Take Off.”
Created by Hunter Brown of Innovated Sculpture Design, “Take Off,” is the newest addition to Southlake’s robust public art collection. It is a modern stainless-steel sculpture standing 15 feet in height and composed of twisting and turning forms that ascend upward, intersecting and jutting through space. Abstract in design, the movement of the forms invoke an aeronautical feel that pays tribute to the airstrip that was once a part of this area.
Next time you are at Park Village, make sure to admire our newest art piece while enjoying the fresh air and beautiful new fountain.
Ideas are beginning to take shape for the artwork planned to be installed at the Park Village fountain at the corner of Southlake Boulevard and Carroll Avenue.
During a joint meeting January 27, Mayor Laura Hill, the City Council and the Southlake Arts Council discussed art options and timeframe for the installation.
The Arts Council envisions a contemporary sculpture that portrays flight. The property is the former site of an airstrip. Discussions are ongoing with an artist based in Arkansas.
“Southlake’s Public Art program brings such a special feel to our community,” Mayor Laura Hill said. “Working with the Arts Council to bring another incredible piece to one of Southlake’s most popular areas is exciting. That corner deserves a special piece that captures the spirit of our City and all it represents.”
Funding for the artwork will come from a public investment agreement with the property owner that uses sales and property tax from the development.
In November, the Southlake City Council approved a zoning change and site plan for the Park Village development that included modifications to the fountain area. The fountain was deemed inoperable, and the modifications will correct issues to create a community atmosphere. The site plans call for the City to install public art.
The property owner began construction this week to modify the fountain area with an anticipated completion June 2021, weather permitting.
City Council approved the final concept and contract for new Public Art as a tribute to Bob and Almeady Jones at the November 17, City Council meeting.
Jones was a former slave, husband, and father who became a prosperous landowner and rancher in the Roanoke-Southlake. He and his wife Almeady Jones raised 10 children together and were well-respected residents.
As a part of Southlake’s art initiative to promote public art in Southlake, the Southlake Arts Council extended an invite to local artists to submit a proposal for a commissioned sculpture in honor of the Jones Family to be placed at Bob Jones Park. Artist Seth Vandable was selected for his piece, Bob and Almeady Jones Monument.
The bronze monument depicts Bob and Almeady dressed in period attire relaxing beside a picnic, enjoying a freshly harvested summer meal after a hard day of work farming, and teaching their children to welcome visitors to the park.
The piece incorporates the agricultural history of Southlake along with the family values and work ethic which would serve as a cultural touchstone to current residents and visitors.
According to Vandable’s artist statement, he believes the sculpture will be a reflection of the City’s past.
“I believe Southlake will strongly identify with this sculpture as a beautiful timeless symbol of your strong City’s past, the strength of the family and determination to succeed in the face of challenges,” he stated.
The monument will be on display at Bob Jones Park in Spring 2021.
Funding for this project is allocated within the approved FY 2021 Public Art Fund CIP budget in the amount of $100,000.
Once again, the City of Southlake is partnering with APEX Arts League to present a fall art exhibit in Town Hall. This year we are pleased to present “Animalia,” an exhibit portraying beautiful animal works of art by Charice Cooper. The exhibit will run through Friday, November 6 in Town Hall or virtually on the Public Art webpage.
“Animalia” features unique works of art highlighting animals considered vulnerable, endangered or critically endangered such as the Western Lowland Gorilla and a Polar Bear.
For those not yet comfortable to visit Town Hall or those who would like to know more about Ms. Cooper they are encouraged to view the virtual tour that was created and posted on the Public Art website.
“This year’s exhibit will look a little bit different than in years past,” noted Southlake Arts Council Chair Miriam Murray. “But it was important to us to create the opportunity for everyone to be able to view the beautiful pieced Charice created in a way that was safe and from the comfort of home. These really are exquisite pieces and I hope everyone is able to enjoy them.”
About the artist
Charice Cooper was born and raised in the DFW area. Raised in a very musical and artistic family where creativity was encouraged and well nurtured. While she enjoyed music and dance, animals and art were her deepest passion. Tightly and beautifully intertwined, one passion continuously fueled the other through countless hours devoted to both.
Despite her upbringing, she found herself in the corporate world for many year, her paint brushed sitting untouched. Turning to art for as a stress relief, in 2000, she left the corporate world to become a full-time artist.
At first, murals were the staple of her business and as the diversity of her clients’ requests expanded, so did her repertoire. As time has passed, she has transitioned her time to paint behind an easel more.
“Left to my own devices, I return to what is near and dear to my heart, animals,” said Cooper. “It is my deepest hope to motivate others to action by bringing awareness to the immense challenges animals face, as well as provide a renewed appreciation of their existence by capturing their essence through the instruments of my craft.”
To learn more about Charice Cooper and view more of her art pieces, visit her website, www.charicecooper.com.
Community Services Director Chris Tribble presented a first look at the Town Square Mural Project at the August 18 City Council meeting.
With recent changes to the economy due to COVID-19, businesses had to adjust to new challenges with decreases to customer volume and how to serve their customers.
“Several months ago, when we first started talking about the economic recovery of Southlake and doing some initiatives to help our businesses… one of the things we’d talked about in particular is bringing people back to Town Square,” Mayor Laura Hill said during the meeting. “Since we already had the ‘I Believe in Southlake’ logo, I’d thought it would be really cool to paint on the side of one of our buildings.”
The mural titled, “I Believe in Southlake,” was designed by Graphics Coordinator Missy Saunders and includes beloved staples of the Southlake community and Texas. It will be the first of its kind as a part of any Southlake Public Art initiative. The painting, which is estimated to be 15 feet wide and 8.5 feet tall will be on display in Town Square.
The artwork will be painted by artist Liz Bonham and is scheduled to be completed Fall 2020, weather permitting.
This initiative is also part of the Arts Master Plan, which includes creating engaging public spaces that stimulate discussion, cultivate patrons of the arts and celebrate the history of Southlake while continuing to integrate art into the daily lives of residents and visitors.