The opportunity: Design and install public artwork welcoming residents and visitors at a developing entrance to one of the nation’s fastest growing suburbs.

Waukee has been the fastest growing city in Iowa for years and remains among the fastest growing cities in the United States. While the equity and pace of development is a concern for many, the roughly 25,000 people now living in this Des Moines suburb describe schools, parks and trails among their points of pride, based on research by Group Creative Services for Waukee’s emerging Arts and Culture Plan.

In this growing community, the plan’s recommended work focuses on strengthening a “sense of place,” building local character and integrating artists in civic processes. It establishes a framework to integrate art into every city function, aligned with community plans.

The installation at Tallgrass stormwater pond is an early demonstration of integrating artworks as Waukee’s Kettlestone development speeds toward a forecast 7,000 new housing units, 3.8-million square feet of commercial retail space and 5.5-million square feet of commercial office space.

Stormwater detention ponds offer a durable interface with natural resources in Waukee’s Kettlestone development. Residents and visitors are likely to linger at the water’s edge, even if only while waiting for a traffic light.