A rendering of what the Pioneer Tower art project will look like.
A light show of pictures will illuminate Pioneer Tower early next year.
The Arts Council of Fort Worth is bringing a new event to the city, specifically for locals. The historic Pioneer Tower at Will Rogers Memorial Center will be lit up on all four sides with photos and memories submitted by residents.
The free, after-dark, community event will showcase the work of two artists, Quayola of Italy and Refik Anadol of Los Angeles, who will premiere art works in the night sky. This is one of four major iconic public artworks that will be a part of the Fort Worth Public Art Collection.
The project is meant to acknowledge memories, represent the hidden stories behind the photographs, and celebrate the people, places, and dreams of the city, says Martha Peters, director of public art for the Arts Council of Fort Worth.
The city wanted to incorporate public art into architecture without compromising the historic building, Peters says, so the idea of projection mapping came to mind — artists can create a large-scale video that wraps around the structure of the building. The two artists are some of the first international artists the council has worked with.
“For these iconic artwork projects, our master plan consultants recommended that we use a curator,” Peters says. “With the recommendation of these two artists came an invite to Fort Worth, where they got to see the rodeo and stock show. They also got to see the Cultural District to get to know the city a little bit better.”
Fort Worth residents are encouraged to submit their photos and memories on the project's website. The deadline to submit photos will be around mid-November, and the event will take place over two or three days early next year.
