New Art Sculpture on Display at Frisco’s New Kaleidoscope Park – NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth

In just three months, Frisco’s Kaleidoscope Park will open to the public as a new green space where people can relax, work and play. One of the main attractions is a large hanging sculpture at the north end of the six-acre green space that pays homage to butterflies.

The piece is called “Butterfly Rest Stop” and was created and designed by world-renowned sculptor and textile artist Janet Echelman.

The 3,423-pound sculpture is made of 791,788 hand- and loom-tied knots and hangs high in the sky.

“It’s probably the largest outdoor art piece in North Texas, and it’s the only piece she has in Texas, so we think people are going to come from all over to see this and the park,” said Shawn Jackson, Kaleidoscope Park’s new executive director.

She said the inspiration for the installation came from the butterflies that frequent the area.

“This area is on the monarch butterfly migration path, so we’re going to plant milkweed underneath it,” Jackson explained.

According to her website, Echelman was inspired by insects.

“It is meaningful to me to be invited to participate in the sculpture of this new public park for North Texas. When I learned that monarch butterflies migrate through the area each October, I wanted to plant milkweed below to help create a sustainable pollination corridor and hang my first flower-inspired sculptures in the sky to remind us of our interconnected destinies and the interconnected systems of the natural world of which we are a small part. This green space invites us all to come together and celebrate the fusion of nature, art and community,” Echelman said in a press release.

It took the ski lift crews about a week to install the fabric net on several pylons, including one 20 metres high. The net’s string is nearly 145 kilometres long.

“It’s made from the same materials that were used to build the Mars rover,” Jackson said of the net-like flower material that can withstand winds of up to 100 mph.

The visually appealing sculpture will be illuminated at night but will change color during the day depending on the sun.

““We were there one day at 9 a.m. and it was really pink, and then we came out a few hours later and it was really yellow. So it’s going to change and then at night there’s going to be lights on it and the lighting sequences are going to change and so no one’s going to be bored with this piece of art and kindness,” Jackson said.

The multi-million dollar park spans six acres of green space between Hall Park, just south of The Star in Frisco.

There’s a little something for everyone, including walkways, a playground and WI-FI so people can work outside.

The urban park will include a children’s playground, a dog park, a recreation area for fitness programs, interactive water fountains and a performance space for concerts and artwork.

There will also be a new boutique hotel, luxury residential buildings and a new office tower surrounding the park.

The $38 million project is being funded through a public-private partnership. The city of Frisco owns the land and contributed $15 million. The rest of the money came from donations, and construction funds came from Kathryn and Craig Hall.