Aquatic Dance
Clive, IA
The opportunity was to design a site-specific artwork greeting visitors to Clive, Iowa’s Greenbelt Landing, a developing civic hub expecting more than 250,000 annual visits via the Greenbelt Trail and adjacent facilities.
Greenbelt Landing ranked first among projects defined in a 2016 plan to rejuvenate and manage the 40-year-old corridor, especially in relation to its water. Beyond the recreational value, citizens named flood management and water quality improvement top on their priority list, as well as equitable approaches to education protecting the natural resources.
Aquatic Dance
Aquatic Dance aims to foster a connection between the community and their environment, highlighting the crucial role of water in sustaining both ecological balance and human life.
The Concept
Aquatic Dance visually represents the dynamic interactions between weather conditions and water flow in Walnut Creek. The sculpture responds to the wind’s direction and intensity, simulating how natural water bodies react to environmental changes via the individual kinetic elements that the sculpture is made from. This responsive motion reflects the creek’s own ebb and flow, particularly during extreme weather, illustrating the impact of such conditions on local water management and quality.
The sculpture serves as an educational tool, promoting awareness of sustainable water practices and the importance of ecological stewardship. By visually interpreting the effects of wind on water, it encourages viewers to consider how natural and human-induced changes affect our water resources.
