Fort Worth Public Art
It’s a long way from the quiet shoreline of Lake Como Park in Fort Worth to the ornate halls of La Biennale di Venezia in Italy — but this summer, a sculpture rooted in one neighborhood’s past is standing tall on the world’s most prestigious architectural stage.
“Do Something Good For Your Neighbor,” a public artwork created by RDG Planning & Design and installed in Fort Worth’s Como neighborhood in 2021, has been selected for inclusion in the United States Pavilion at the 2025 Venice Architecture Biennale, according to a press release. Part of an exhibition titled "PORCH: An Architecture of Generosity," the piece is one of several that examine how public spaces can foster dignity, openness, and connection.
The Como section of Cowtown is named for the lake built there in 1889, originally envisioned as a resort. The early 20th century brought visitors like the celebrated actress Lillian Russell, who admired its natural beauty. Yet over the decades, Como evolved into a modest residential community marked by both pride and perseverance. The Lake Como Weekly, the neighborhood’s newspaper from the 1940s through the ’80s, captured the daily life and stories of this corner of Fort Worth.
Though Como faced economic hardship for many years, recent infrastructure investments by the city, along with efforts from residents and leaders, have breathed new energy into the area. Today, Como stands at a crossroads — honoring its past while quietly laying claim to the future.
“Do Something Good For Your Neighbor” was the first public art installation completed under the Lake Como Park Public Art Master Plan, developed with community input by artists Anitra Blayton and Mel Ziegler. The plan describes Lake Como as a place for commemoration, aiming to improve park structures while creating memorial art projects across mediums that honor the community’s designated heroes, legends, and pioneers — thoughtfully and actively defined by the Lake Como Planning Committee. It identifies both aesthetic and functional elements to enhance park infrastructure and add new amenities, each reflecting important people and events from Como’s history.
Crafted from weathering steel and hand-carved white oak, the sculpture is more than just an object; it is a frame, a gathering place, and a tribute. The vertical steel panels incorporate text excerpts inspired by The Lake Como Weekly and other historic neighborhood documents, engraved in a style reminiscent of the paper’s original handset typeface. Two triangular plates angled skyward honor William H. Wilburn, Sr., founder and publisher of The Lake Como Weekly, and Amon G. Carter, Sr., whose 1952 land donation helped establish Lake Como Park as a public refuge.
This public art project was funded by the 2004 Bond Program and was formally dedicated to the City of Fort Worth on December 4, 2021.
Nestled near the park’s historic pavilion and dock, the sculpture invites visitors to sit on its oak benches and reflect. The surface beneath is compacted decomposed granite, tying the installation to the natural landscape it celebrates.
The sculpture’s inclusion in Venice signals recognition not only of its artistic merit but also of the power of community-driven design. The United States Pavilion, curated by the Fay Jones School of Architecture and Design at the University of Arkansas alongside Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, uses the idea of “the porch” as a lens to explore how architecture can embody values like generosity, democracy, and belonging.
While “Do Something Good For Your Neighbor” frames a view of Lake Como, the sculpture now also frames an international conversation about what it means to build community.
Back home, the neighborhood is preparing to mark its 125th anniversary under the banner “Everything You Need is in the Village.” The celebration includes the annual Como Fest + Parade on July 3 at 4 p.m., produced by Legacy, a local community organization.
The sculpture’s message, etched in steel and echoed in community spirit, is simple but profound: the strength of a neighborhood lies in the generosity of its people. Como’s story, now on display thousands of miles away in Venice, reminds us all that good neighbors build the foundation for lasting places.
“‘Do Something Good For Your Neighbor’ is more than a provocative public art sculpture in nature,” said Estrus Tucker, former chair of the Fort Worth Art Commission and a lifelong Como resident. “It is a powerful invitation to engage a proud community with respect for its history and vision of dignity.”
