Creek Show 2022

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INSTALLATIONS AND DESIGN TEAMS

Dream Pants

by Bade-Schaffer

Jodi Bade
Maura Schaffer

In that twilight time between awake and asleep, I became aware of a flickering dream. Down along the banks of a forgotten creek, strange apparitions were calling to me. Pants, just pants, frolicked about. They laughed and whispered, “Hey, check it out!” They glowed with the light of a promise to tell, that soon this place will be happy and well. Thanks dream pants for sharing your secret! I’m so delighted! (I don’t think I can keep it.)


Enter the Dragonfly

by Odonata

Jake Rodgers
Jennifer Rodgers

Enter the Dragonfly envisions the ecological restoration and transformation of Waller Creek as a healthy habitat for a diversity of native life. Dragonflies are one of the oldest and most reliable indicator species of a thriving and stable aquatic ecosystem.

Enter the Dragonfly consists of larger-than-life metal dragonflies hovering above the creek waters, their reflections glowing beneath them. Using scale and light, the sculptures visually bring attention to the critical relationship between urban and natural environments while inspiring curiosity, excitement, and thoughtful engagement from the viewer with Waterloo Greenway’s mission.


GOOD~VIBRATIONS

by Studio 5-1-2

Connie Trinh
Anya Moucha
Cecley Hill
Michelle Bright

GOOD~VIBRATIONS is a celebration of the hidden landscapes that run beneath our feet and continue to shape our urban environment by bringing them to the surface. Inspired by stalagmite and stalactite formations within caves, this installation drips and oozes over Waller Creek to recreate a cavernous experience. Forms are covered with mirror pieces and spotlighted to scatter light in the spirit of a disco, set to the echoing sounds of dripping water and chirping bats (with some remixes in-between). We encourage attendees to celebrate subterranean landscapes with GOOD~VIBRATIONS by immersing themselves in an experience that employs lighting and sound to highlight rich interactions and the dance of life’s organisms.


Inventories

by Lawrence Group

Jeff Harris
Marco Cue
Kilpatrick Davidson
Nick Faust
Mohammed Kattan
Luma Jaffar
Alex Martinez
Leo Sanchez

Joseph Jones, late UT Professor and champion of Waller Creek, would spend his lunch hour walking the creek where it passed through campus, keeping an “inventory” of things seen and found – flora and fauna, along with beer cups and plastic bags – acknowledging the signs of human presence amidst the abundant natural beauty. For our installation, we are channeling our inner Joseph Jones and collecting hundreds of used plastic bottles directly from the creek and from other local sources, coating the inside with luminescent paint, and arranging them geometrically just above the surface of the water. We will then shine UV light across the tops to transform them into a field of glowing objects – a bright “inventory” of trash – highlighting the human contribution to the story of this wonderful “cretaceous limestone gutter.”


Portal Potty

by Salmo Gunn

Kristen Gunn
Laura Salmo

Like an urban wardrobe to Narnia, inside this magical corridor of porta potties is a seamless tunnel of disco lights and whimsy. Interior walls and all fixtures of the Portal Potties have been removed, creating a hallway illuminated by twinkling LED strips and panels, with an exit in the back that is not visible to outside viewers. Silhouettes of those who enter seem to disappear at the end of the tunnel, creating the illusion that entrants have been magically transported into Creek Show 2022. This installation is a smile and a wink to look past the surface of things and to find beauty in unexpected places.


CURATED INSTALLATIONS

In addition to six committee selections, Waterloo Greenway, in partnership with AIA Austin, is collaborating with three local architecture organizations and nonprofits to present additional light-based art installations, to create a collection of nine total pieces to be displayed at Creek Show 2022.

LUNA

by Austin Foundation for Architecture

Gerardo Gandy, Assoc AIA
Jessica Graham
Stephanie D’Arienzo
Ximena Alayo-Reyes, Assoc AIA
Brianna De Leon, Assoc AIA
Dani Williams
Kyle Wilson

The dance between the moon and Earth’s bodies of water is one as old as time itself. From influencing tides along our seacoasts, to regulating precipitation feeding our inland rivers, invisible forces are at work right before our eyes. LUNA seeks to illuminate the invisible bonds between our environment and each other. With its mirrored materiality, the installation serves as a symbol for diversity and equity, while encouraging reflection on the idea that we all contribute to the future of our urban fabric. The infinity effect of the lights and the mirror creates a place for everyone and alludes to the endless possibilities we all represent to our city of Austin.


NeonCity

by AIA Austin

Jessica Graham
Gerardo Gandy, Assoc AIA
Ximena Alayo-Reyes, Assoc AIA
Brianna De Leon, Assoc AIA
Dani Williams
Charles Miles
Mandy Mandelstein
Isidro Granados

NeonCity is an abstract representation of Austin’s downtown skyline on Waller Creek. The exhibition portrays the city’s colorful and vibrant energy that can be appreciated across Lady Bird Lake, watching the lights of downtown and its reflection in the water. As the city expands, these building blocks represent the growth and potential opportunities as Austin becomes an ever-evolving city that creates opportunities for more people to come together as a community.


Sirius

by National Organization of Minority Architects (NOMA)

Diego Schubb
Joyce Kim
Gregory Street
Albert Condarco
Sabrina Ortiz
Oscar Yanez
Jefferson Nunez

A hypothetical structure or tunnel that connects two points separated in space and time. Similarly, this installation seeks to connect users through imagery and visual anchor points. Nested in illuminated vessels, these moments overtake the structure of the bridge through an organic form and invite user interaction. In its highest form, the goal of the intervention is to encourage users through the tunnel – providing opportunities for lingering self-reflection in the pursuit of connectivity and aesthetic enjoyment.

Creek Show 2022 Selection Committee

Donald Miller – Director of Programming, Waterloo Greenway
Ingrid Spencer – Executive Director of AIA Austin + Austin Foundation for Architecture, Creek Show Artistic Director
Melba Whatley – Board Member, Waterloo Greenway
Alyssa James – Board Member, Waterloo Greenway & Principal & Founder, Studio 8SC
Chris Mattsson – Former Board Member, Waterloo Greenway
Gerardo Gandy – Assoc., AIA, Architectural Brand Experience Designer, Gensler
Michelle Voss – Executive Director, Austin City Art Fund
Christian Kline – Partner, Drophouse Design 
Jesse Stowell – Principal, Parker | Phoenix Public Relations