Have you seen the really big dragonflies?

Like their giant ancestors from a prehistoric era, these brightly colored Odonates will glide along Shoal Creek in Pease Park through April of 2024. Enter the Dragonfly, previously exhibited in Waller Creek as a part of Waterloo Greenway’s Creek Show in 2022, draws our attention to some of the creatures that need the complex riparian ecosystem that the creek provides. Scaled down, you might have even seen a Flame Skimmer or Blue Dasher in similar bright colors along the creek on a summer day.

What is the value of public art? In a diverse society, each work of art doesn’t appeal to everyone - it isn’t meant to. But, it can provide a connection between people and their environment, a valuable proposition in a time when it may be easy to feel disconnected from the world and the people around us. Public art can be a gateway - for questions, exploration, and observation. It can’t replace engagement with the natural world, but it can complement how we connect with our built and natural environment.

Art is one of the four pillars of programming at Pease Park Conservancy, along with Conservation, Learning, and Wellness. You may have noticed other art in Pease Park already - Mystic Raven near 29th Street, or perhaps you saw the Yippee Ki Yay Stickworks installation, now mulched, back in 2018.

We hope this newest art installation in the park will delight you with its color and whimsy. And, perhaps it will even provide connection and enjoyment as you explore for yourself along the creek.

Written by: Nicole Netherton, CEO, Pease Park Conservancy