Austin Parks Foundation helps fund the installation of art at Perry Park, with the help of partners The Contemporary Austin and Austin Parks and Recreation.
With the help of a grant from Austin Parks Foundation, Friends of Perry Park were able to add two more art installations to the park. The pieces, Alas #IV by Betty Gold and Blue Float by Peter Reginato, join Dayton by Jim Huntington, all of which are on loan from The Contemporary Austin as part of their Museum Without Walls program, which aims at bringing art to outdoor spaces.
While the two newer pieces may visually be different, they both have themes of nature that are enhanced by their placement in the park. Betty Gold’s piece, Alas #IV is constructed of folded, painted sheets of steel that represent wings, and other aerial objects such as kites and planes. Peter Reginato’s piece, Blue Float, is a more organic sculpture, but also made of steel sheets. This piece reflects the natural world through its balance and abstraction, and uses its surrounding landscape to add to the composition.
Friends of Perry Park reached out to Austin Parks Foundation because they recognized the importance of enriching outdoor spaces in order to foster better relationships between people and parks. There are two sections of Perry Park, “Lower Perry Park” next to Highland Elementary School, as well as “Upper Perry Park” which is the area of land closer to Balcones Drive. While the first section saw many guests, the latter had a lack of facilities and attractions, making it less popular. The Friends of Perry Park saw an opportunity to improve this space by showcasing the relationship between art and nature. Through their partnerships with The Contemporary Austin and City of Austin Parks and Recreation Department, as well as funding from Austin Parks Foundation, they have been able to see these plans become reality.