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- Public Art
Saturday, December 2, 2023
Fall is officially here, and it’s time to decorate the Town Hall lobby walls with this year’s featured artist!
Don’t miss your chance to see exquisite original pieces by Texas-born artist Jeremy Serna! Join the Southlake Arts Council and the APEX Arts League on Sunday, September 10 at 5:00 PM in the Town Hall Lobby for a public art reception.
Serna owns Painting with Friends and is a self-taught artist. He began exploring art early on, working with pastels, acrylics, and watercolors. He studied immensely to get where he is today and gives back to other emerging artists by teaching art classes virtually and in his studio. In addition, Serna is represented in several cities in Texas, including Llano, Waco, Fredericksburg, Canton, and Eureka Springs, AR, and Ventura, CA, and with several private collectors. He won the Overall Artist award in 2020 at the Stars of Texas Paint Off Competition. Jeremy Serna was also a featured artist at this year’s Art in the Square Festival.
Don’t miss your chance to meet the artist, learn more about the Southlake Arts Council and APEX Arts League, and maybe pick up a new original piece of art! As always, light refreshments will be provided.
As Memorial Day weekend approaches, it’s the perfect time to welcome summer and honor the memory of our fallen heroes.
This year, why not make the most of the extended weekend by immersing yourself in nature and enjoying the great outdoors at your Southlake public parks? From outdoor adventures to peaceful relaxation, here are some world-class activities to schedule for your Memorial Day weekend.
Enjoy the MasterWorks Concert Series
Start your weekend right this Memorial Day by heading to Rustin and Family Park for a free public concert on Friday, May 26 at 7:00 PM! Come out and enjoy a performance by Satellite, a modern, high-energy party band, as they perform the hottest party hits from the 70s to current Top 40 songs. Spread your blanket on the lush green grass in Southlake Town Square, sway to the music, and immerse yourself in the crowd’s energy. The Masterworks Concert Series is perfect for sharing joy, connecting with others, and creating life-long memories.
Picnic at the Park
Gather your loved ones and embark on a delightful picnic in the scenic surroundings of Bob Jones Fishing Pier, the Playground at Bicentennial Park, or at Liberty Park at Sheltonwood. Pack a smorgasbord of delectable treats, refreshing beverages, and classic American favorites like peanut butter and jelly sandwiches! Set up a cozy blanket, enjoy the warm sunshine, and indulge in good food and great company over the long weekend. Reserve a pavilion today!
Hiking and Nature Trails
Escape the hustle and bustle of daily life by exploring the nature trails and hiking paths at the Bob Jones Nature Center and Preserve. Lace up your hiking boots, grab a water bottle, and venture into the Cross Timbers ecosystem to witness the beauty of our local flora and fauna firsthand. Breathe in the fresh air, admire breathtaking views, and immerse yourself in the tranquility of nature. Remember to choose trails suitable for your fitness level and bring a camera to capture our animal neighbors. Share your pictures on our Instagram @bjncp_southlake!
Reflect with Public Art
While a long weekend is always appreciated, Memorial Day weekend is about honoring those who have passed while serving our country. Spend a moment of quiet contemplation at the Liberty Gardens in Bicentennial Park while admiring the newest piece in our Public Art Collection. “Remembrance and Renewal” by Mark and Diane Weisbeck. While this piece is specifically dedicated to those lost during the 9/11 attacks, its presence in the Liberty Gardens invites everyone to honor those who sacrificed for our freedoms.
This Memorial Day weekend, reconnect with nature, honor the spirit of remembrance, and revel in the beauty of our Southlake public parks!
The City of Southlake unveiled its newest piece of public art on Wednesday, May 24, at 9:00 AM at the Liberty Gardens in Bicentennial Park.
City Council members, Art Council members, first responders, and the artist gathered at the Liberty Gardens to celebrate the arrival of “Remembrance and Renewal” by New York artist Mark Weisbeck. Mayor Huffman made the opening remarks, followed by Zac Rowe from Gateway Music Ministries singing “The National Anthem” and “America the Beautiful.” Southlake Arts Council Chair Tamara McMillan and artists Mark and Diane Weisbeck also made some remarks.
The new, 15-foot-tall statue consists of two stainless steel towers with lightly textured brass in a “Statue of Liberty” green patina. The sculpture invites the viewer to celebrate with love and honor all those lost and affected by the events of 9-11 and pay tribute to those people and loved ones in a positive, hopeful, and compassionate manner. It invites contemplation and healing within the beautiful gardens and inspires us to work toward harmony, goodwill, and peace. The sculpture reminds us that no matter what actions of terror occur, there will always be citizens who will stand against it and work toward friendship, understanding, and peace to make the world a better place for all.
“Remembrance and Renewal” was approved by the Southlake Arts Council during their April 26, 2022, Arts Council meeting and by the Southlake City Council during their May 17, 2022, meeting. Learn more about Southlake’s Public Art program by visiting our Public Art website.
Visit the Liberty Gardens in Bicentennial Park to spend a moment of contemplation in front of our newest piece.
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.