The two metal artists who created the balloons are uncertain of what the shadows will look like once the art is installed. But, they are sure of one thing: the six vibrant, four-foot balloons of light that will sprout later this spring in the heart of Texas, Waco, will bring a touch of art to an unexpected place. This project is a collaboration between the Texas Department of Transportation, the city of Waco and the non-profit arts organization Creative Waco. A strategic art plan can provide a platform for discussing new works of public art and their location, as well as communicate what a community values, provide ways for neighborhoods and local artists to participate, and help expand the general understanding of art, its purposes and interpretations.
This plan is being developed by city officials, art organizers and the consultancy firm Forecast Public Art. The inclusion of public art in the improvement of the airport, driven by members of the city council and administrators who thought about the most important airports they had visited during their travels, demonstrates the greater visibility of public art in Waco. A mural on the side of the East Waco Library captures the city's history and culture in a colorful example of public art. Morgan Eyring and Andrea La Valleur-Purvis are two local designers and artists who were commissioned for this six-sphere art project.
Valleur-Purvis studied metal sculpture and cast iron at the beginning of a career that has led her to live and work in Europe and the United States in the fields of digital and technological design, fine art and artistic business advice. For Doreen Ravenscroft, a longtime defender of art, public art brings a lot to a community while also reflecting it. The six bright-colored, 4-foot balloons of light will bring color and life to McLennan County, TX.
