Creek Show 2016: Light-based public art along Austin’s Waller Creek

November 17, 2016


Five temporary, light-based art installations come to glowing life each evening through Saturday in downtown Austin along Waller Creek between 5th and 8th Streets. It’s called, simply, Creek Show, with a carnival-esque monster-fish logo (it’s alive!) that I still don’t get, but it’s fun, it’s free, and it’s all part of the effort to revitalize long-neglected Waller Creek through the Waller Creek Conservancy.

This glowing green extinct sea lizard “swims” under the 8th Street bridge. Here’s more info about it:


This part of Waller Creek is currently little more than a concrete-edged drainage channel that often floods. Playing on the watershed theme, this colorful installation represents rainclouds ready to drop a gullywasher into the creek.


The colors change as you stand there looking at it, washing the tunnel wall with light and reflecting in the creek.

Here’s the description:


Walking north to south along the creek we came to the last installation at Easy Tiger Beer Garden, which was packed with mellow patrons at picnic tables along the creek. A rainbow of red light arced up from the creek below…


…over a pedestrian bridge and back down into the creek.


This should be a permanent addition, I think.

Here’s the description:


Waller Creek has been the subject of grand redevelopment visions over the years, like creating Austin’s own San Antonio River Walk. But I think the current vision, which seems to have momentum under the leadership of Peter Mullan of the High Line in NYC, will be a better fit for Austin: part of a chain of parks along Waller Creek, with an emphasis on nature and park-like access.

So go on out and visit Creek Show, Austin, and show your support for Waller Creek’s redevelopment. It’s sure to be a treasured new park in downtown Austin.

I welcome your comments; please scroll to the end of this post to leave one. If you’re reading this in a subscription email, click here to visit Digging and find the comment box at the end of each post.
_______________________

Digging Deeper: News and Upcoming Events

What’s hot in garden design — or about to be? I interviewed designers and retailers across the U.S. to find out! Natural dye gardens, hyperlocalism, dwarf shrubs, haute houseplants, sustainability tech, color blocking, and more — check out my 2017 Trends article for Garden Design and see if anything surprises you.

Do you review? Have you read my new book, The Water-Saving Garden? If you found it helpful or inspirational, please consider leaving a review — even just a sentence or two — on Amazon, Goodreads, or other sites. Online reviews are crucial in getting a book noticed. I really appreciate your help!

All material © 2006-2016 by Pam Penick for Digging. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited.

5 responses to “Creek Show 2016: Light-based public art along Austin’s Waller Creek”

  1. What fun having beautiful lighting. It is the time of year that we truly appreciate light.

  2. That’s pretty cool..whether there’s something to “get” or not, lights are fun!

  3. Wendy Moore says:

    I LOVE the tunnel lights! They look like geodes!

  4. Gavin says:

    Saw a video of the Creek Show on Yobored.com a few days ago and it looked Amazing! Luckily I got to experience it for myself on the last day. Thanks for reminding me of this great event 🙂