Creek Show 2022 has it all: dragonflies, disco and a pretty port-a-potty
We're declaring it right now: This year's Creek Show is one of our favorite 2022 events.
The show, which runs Nov. 11-20, takes attendees from its Waller Creek entrance at Ninth and Red River streets to Waterloo Park on 12th Street. Live music, food, drinks and games await attendees at the park once they make it through the art installations.
Tickets for Creek Show are free, but you'll need to make a reservation at waterloogreenway.org.
Update: Creek Show is canceled for Nov.11 due to the possibility of inclement weather, officials announced on the Waterloo Greenway website Friday evening. People with Nov. 11 reservations will have to make a new reservation. Fast Pass ticket holders will receive a refund in the next seven to 10 business days.
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This year's installations, which are created by local artists, designers and architects, include history and hydrology themes related to Waterloo Greenway.
We got a sneak peek of Creek Show on Thursday night. Here's what we think you need to know before you head over.
Be prepared to disco.
About halfway through Creek Show, you'll find yourself in what can best be described as a disco ball cave. In "Good~Vibrations," mirrored forms, like stalagmites and stalactites in actual caves, drip from the ceiling and ooze over the floor. Disco balls hang from above and spread little dots of light all around. The piece, created by Connie Trinh, Anya Moucha, Cecley Hill and Michelle Bright from Studio 5-1-2, includes music, sounds of dripping water and chirping bats and graffiti. The graffiti came with the space, the artists told us.
The installation emits purple light in different shades and will make you forget you're in a creek near a highway.
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You're going to want to spend time with the dragonflies.
"Enter the Dragonfly" is massive, and it changes colors as you walk past. It's really fun. The installation includes a handful of giant, mosaic-like dragonflies that hang on the water of the creek. The work, created by Jake Rodgers and Jennifer Rodgers from Odonata, shows its viewers Waller Creek as a "healthy habitat for a diversity of native life," the installation's description reads.
The dragonflies go from cool blues to oranges and greens as time passes.
"Dragonflies are one of the oldest and most reliable indicator species of a thriving and stable aquatic ecosystem," the installation's description reads.
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Trash can be really moving.
Rows and rows of blue plastic bottles float on the surface of Waller Creek, and we have to say, this installation made us a bit emotional. "Inventories" is inspired by late University of Texas professor Joseph Jones, according to the Lawrence Group. Jones would spent his lunch break walking along Waller Creek and picking up both the pretty and ugly that the creek has to offer. He grabbed plants, beer cups and plastic bags.
"Inventories" is made with hundreds of plastic bottles the artists found on the creek and other local spots. The artists include Jeff Harris, Marco Cue, Kilpatrick Davidson, Nick Faust, Mohammed Kattan, Luma Jaffar, Alex Martinez and Leo Sanchez.
The work highlights "the human contribution" to the creek, according to the installation's description. It made us sad, because, well, trash in our waterways is never uplifting. But the work was lovely and made us pause. We highly recommend spending some time with this one.
Port-a-potties are not always disgusting, it turns out.
We were skeptical about "Portal Potty," as the piece is made out of port-a-potties, but the installation is lovely, and we wanted to bring it home. This is the first installation you'll visit on the tour. Once you put on a pair of refraction-grading glasses, you'll walk through a port-a-potty door and into another world that's a bright cream color with rainbow lights all around. The installation is one big hallway, with no toilet in sight.
"This installation is a smile and a wink to look past the surface of things and to find beauty in unexpected places," the installation's description reads.
The work is by Kristen Gunn and Laura Salmo from Salmo Gunn.
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Austin looks good in any form.
"NeonCity" represents the city's skyline on Waller Creek. This one will make you happy to be an Austinite, or wish you were one if you're not already. It'll remind you that Austin has a bright and colorful energy.
"As the city expands, these building blocks represent the growth and potential opportunities as Austin becomes an ever-evolving city that creates opportunities for more people to come together as a community," the installation's description reads.
"NeonCity" was created by AIA Austin, Ximena Alayo-Reyes, Jessica Graham, Brianna De Leon, Dani Williams, Charles Miles, Mandy Mandelstein and Metalworks Austin.
"NeonCity" was created by AIA Austin and Ximena Alayo-Reyes, Assoc. AIA, Jessica Graham, Brianna De Leon, Assoc. AIA, Dani Williams, Charles Miles, Mandy Mandelstein and Metalworks Austin.
There are three other installations on the Creek Show tour: "Dream Pants," "Sirius" and "Luna."
This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Creek Show 2022 in Austin has it all, like disco, dragonflies and more
