Painting by hammer! Come see City Park's 1925 Lily Pond today!
Our Mission:
"To actively protect the classical, pastoral character of Denver's City Park."
DENVER ARTISTS REIMAGINE ABANDONED LILY POND IN CITY PARK
Artists Sarah and Joshua Palmeri have transformed the drained lily pond at the historic DeBoer Waterway at City Park into a colorful, immersive art installation to bring attention to this underutilized area in the park. Located north of 17th Avenue and south of the Denver Museum of Nature and Science, the site-specific sculpture fills six obloid seedbeds, once hidden underwater, with nearly 6,000 painted stakes and creates what the artists call a three-dimensional painting.
“When we first started visiting the site together, all I knew was that I wanted to fill the space with color,” Sarah explains. “I loved the abstract shapes of the seedbeds, the conceptual connection to growth, and the hidden, calm quality of the space. After seeing the historic photos of the pond in its early days, we decided the piece should echo some of that history, and the color became as tall as what the surface of the water would be. It brings back some of the original intentions of the space.”
Denver city records from 1917 show that the Sediment Pond (Little Lake) in City Park was originally “constructed as a man-made work of art inspired by Monet’s composition of still water, weeping willows, and lily pads.” In 1925, landscape architect and city planner, Saco DeBoer redesigned the ponds at their current location, creating a unique, romantic attraction for Denverites. The influence of Monet’s paintings on the site’s design, which also inspired the Color Field painters in the 1950s and 60s, connect Sarah’s practice as an abstract painter and Joshua’s practice as an urban designer.
In 1952, DeBoer designed the DeBoer Canyon and Waterway, Pinetum, flower gardens and lilac hedges as part of Denver's first botanic gardens. The Lily Pond was incorporated into the Master Plan. The collections were later moved to today's Denver Botanic Gardens on York St., but the spine of Denver's first botanic gardens, including the Lily Pond, remain outside the west entrance of the Denver Museum of Nature and Science.
As a temporary work, Color Field will remain installed through September and will build momentum for future plans for the site. The Denver Museum of Nature and Science is currently in the design phase of their new Nature Play program, which will revamp the area (stretching roughly from the DeBoer Canyon to the South Playground) into a natural playground for park visitors. Primary funding for Color Field comes from a "PS You Are Here" (PSYAH) grant received by the Registered Neighborhood Organization (RNO) City Park Friends and Neighbors on behalf of the Palmeri's project. PSYAH is one of Denver Arts and Venues many initiatives. Additional funding comes from City Park Friends and Neighbors, City Park Alliance, the Denver Museum of Nature and Science, and the Denver Zoo
About Denver Arts & Venues
Denver Arts & Venues’ mission is to amplify Denver’s quality of life and economic vitality through premier public venues, arts and entertainment opportunities. Arts & Venues is the City and County of Denver agency responsible for operating some of the region’s most renowned facilities, including Red Rocks Park and Amphitheatre, the Denver Performing Arts Complex, Colorado Convention Center, Denver Coliseum and McNichols Civic Center Building. Arts & Venues also oversees the Denver Public Art Program, Create Denver, SCFD Tier III granting process, Arts Education Fund and other entertainment and cultural events such as the Five Points Jazz Festival, Urban Arts Fund, PSYAH and implementation of IMAGINE 2020: Denver’s Cultural Plan. Denver Arts & Venues is committed to diversity, inclusiveness and equity in all its programs, initiatives and decision-making processes. www.ArtsandVenues.com
About P.S. You Are Here
PSYAH is a citywide creative placemaking and neighborhood revitalization program that cultivates collaborative, community-led outdoor projects in Denver’s public spaces. PSYAH funds help support creative, short-term physical improvement projects that aim to transform our underutilized urban spaces to increase collaboration, honor heritage, build civic engagement, beautify neighborhoods, enrich communities and inspire long-term change. www.ArtsandVenues.com/PSYAH
About City Park Friends and Neighbors
City Park Friends and Neighbors (CPFAN) is a neighborhood advocacy group open to all members of the public. Membership is free of charge.CPFAN provides monthly public programs centered on City Park's history, projects and issues. The CPFAN Mail Chimp goes out regularly to its membership with timely articles, stories and reporting on activities in City Park. Every Fall, CPFAN members conduct tours of City Park as part of Doors Open Denver programming. Color Field is one the many projects CPFAN supports on behalf of City Park.
CPFAN's mission is to actively protect the classical pastoral character of City Park. We are dedicated to celebrating the natural beauty of the park and its accessibility to all members of the public. City Park is the People’s Park, a treasure we will strive to preserve and enhance. Visit our website today to sign up for free CPFAN membership that includes the CPFAN Mail Chimp emails and other benefits. http://cpfan.org/
About the Artists
Louisiana born, Denver based artists Sarah and Joshua Palmeri merged their individual creative practices into Two Palm Studio in 2019. Sarah primarily identifies as a painter, but often works beyond traditional painting by exploring various methods and materials through a gestural and mindfulness-based approach. Joshua’s work explores cultural identity and creative placemaking through guerilla public art and human-centered urban design. https://www.instagram.com/twopalmstudio/ https://www.colorfielddenver.com/
COLOR FIELD NEEDS YOUR HELP!
Funders for Color Field are Denver Arts and Venues, City Park Friends and Neighbors, City Park Alliance, Denver Museum of Nature and Science and the Denver Zoo. More donations are needed and would be most welcome as Color Field goes forward. The next phase will include programming performances (jazz, poetry, dance, classical music) at the ponds that will be filmed and streamed on Facebook and Instagram. Please click the Donate button below to make your tax exempt donation to our living artwork for the public to enjoy.
Help the City Park Lily Pond continue to grow and glow!
