The public artwork titled, Flight, by artist Dan Corson and commissioned by the City of
Fort Worth through the Fort Worth Public Art program, begins installation today in the
new Hemphill Connector in downtown Fort Worth. There will be lane closures from 9:00
a.m. – 4:00 p.m. in the connector, located between W. Lancaster Avenue at Lamar Street
and W. Vickery Boulevard at Hemphill Street, for a few weeks.
Corson’s design celebrates Fort Worth’s aviation history and links the pattern of
migrating birds with those of jets in flight formation. Corson also translates the
City’s “Molly” icon into a contemporary expression of pattern and movement to enhance
the experience of traveling through the Hemphill Connector.
Dozens of abstract “longhorn/birds” will resemble a flock flying out from underneath
the railroad and interstate bridges that span the connector. Each of these identical
components is twelve (12) feet long and made of robust, translucent polyethylene with
a frosted white finish. From dusk to dawn they will glow with internal LED lighting
which Corson has programmed with sixty (60) variations of colors and patterns that
will slowly shift.
On the Downtown side, a free-standing sculpture will feature twenty-eight (28)
“longhorn/birds” supported by five (5) painted steel poles, with the tallest
thirty-five (35) feet in height. Another thirty-five (35) “longhorn/birds” will
be suspended from the I-30 bridge beams with some emerging out from under the
connector toward the Near Southside.
In April 2017, Dan Corson notified the City of his retirement from public art and
recommended longtime collaborator, KiboWorks to implement Flight on his behalf, which
the FWAC approved on April 10, 2017. As of December 2020, fabrication is in final stages
with installation planned for early 2021.
About the Artist:
Dan Corson blurs the boundaries between Fine Art, Theatrical Design, Architecture,
Landscape Architecture, Science and sometimes even Magic. Corson’s projects have ranged
from complex rail stations and busy public intersections to quiet interpretive buildings,
meditation chambers and galleries. With a master’s degree in art from the University of
Washington and a BA in Theatrical Design from San Diego State University, their work is
infused with drama, passion, layered meanings and often engages the public as co-creators
within my environments.
About Kiboworks:
Kiboworks products and solutions are created with a masterful skill and attention to
detail inspired as much by traditional craftsmanship as by state-of-the-art engineering.
This pursuit of perfection is evident at every stage of the projects process. Kiboworks
has always pursued a uniquely uncompromising approach to creating unique solutions. One
that seeks innovation with a sophisticated
Fort Worth Public Art - When Air Becomes Sky
The Animalis Works team, artists Dharmesh Patel and Autumn Ewalt, was inspired by the
revitalization and conservation of Northwest Community Park as an ecosystem. Particularly
interested in its reemergence as a stopping point on the migration route of the monarch
butterflies, the team designed a series of larger-than-life butterfly sculptures. Each
beautiful butterfly sculpture calls to mind this migration, encapsulating the energy and
vibrance of nature.
Placed along two trails each butterfly appears to have just landed, inviting viewers to
interact with the work while exploring the park. The sculptures hold a total of
approximately 6500 embedded crystal prisms which are activated by sunlight throughout
the day, casting colorful patterns of refracted light on passersby. This alludes to the
fluttering of butterfly wings while also providing park patrons a unique experience each
time the sculptures are visited.
City of Fort Worth Mayor Betsy Price joined hundreds of mayors across the U.S. in support
of the monarch butterfly and other pollinators, whose populations have declined, by
signing the National Wildlife Federation's Mayors' Monarch Pledge. Just last year, Fort
Worth was named a Monarch Butterfly Champion City by the program, one of only four cities
in North America who have earned such a distinction. Learn more about the City's continued
efforts to support monarchs.
This project was funded by the 2014 bond program. We look forward to dedicating this
artwork to the City of Fort Worth later this year.
About the Artists
Animalis Works, LLC is an art and design practice specifically interested in the
transformation of public spaces into sites for interaction, reflection, and contemplation.
The collective began in 2010 with the mission to create an environment that allows for a
synergy of creative forces. The term “animalis” is defined animated or living; Animalis
Works seeks to create art that brings these qualities to the people and places that live
with their work. The artists' work has been widely collected, and they have completed
public installations in New York City, New York; Austin, Texas; and San Antonio, Texas.
