Cottonwood Park is an active 25-acre property that intersects with the Jordan River Parkway. It serves the residents of Jordan Meadows Neighborhood as well as the employees of the Utah Department of Agriculture and Food whose building is located adjacent to the park.
Secret Dwellings reflect cottonwood leaves floating down the river, traveling through the landscape and cityscape, like people from all over the world brought to this area to make their homes here, bringing their stories and memories, creating a new vibrant community.
Konopasek’s 3 sculptures are intimate, approachable and encourage curiosity and a sense of wonder. They reference the river as a connection, as a life source and the natural habitat coexisting with the urban habitat. They also suggest the growth cycle of trees and leaves; budding to falling and making space for more leaves – parallel to people and the city.
The text on the sculptures is fragmented nursery rhymes in English and Spanish to represent the sense of wonder and a new beginning.
Artwork featured in header: Through the Safety Lens by Alexander Tylevich