Luminous porta-potties, glowing pants and more at the Creek Show 2022

AUSTIN (KXAN) – Free tickets to the Waterloo Greenway Creek Show will be up for grabs starting Wednesday. This year’s show will feature nine light-based installations, including glowing porta-potties and luminous torso-less pants. 

The Creek Show first started in 2014, and every year it showcases local artists and designers. This year will be the eighth iteration of the show and its most ambitious effort to date.

“Year after year, it continues to take on different forms and continues to inspire Austin,” Donald Miller, the director of programming and events for the Waterloo Greenway initiative, said Monday in a presentation to the Austin Art Commission. 

The showrunners put on the event to educate the public about Waterloo Greenway and “inspire the public (for) what this public space could be as we continue our parks project,” Miller said. 

PORTAL POTTY 

This installation will feature eight connected incandescent porta cans with the interiors removed to create a corridor of twinkling LED lights. 

“Porta cans are often something we see along creeks or construction sites. They’re not the prettiest,” Miller said. “But they are a sign of what is to come, what can be.” 

DREAM PANTS 

This art installation will feature 20 pairs of pants from notable Austinites, hardened and illuminated. The pants are meant to show how Austinites could use the park space once the project is completed. 

NEONCITY

Neon City is an abstract representation of Austin's ever-evolving skyline. 

ENTER THE DRAGONFLY

“Dragonflies are traditionally a great sign of a healthy habitat for diversity (and) native life,” Miller said. 

This exhibit will feature four 16 to 20 feet glowing dragonflies in Waller Creek. 

SIRIUS

SIRIUS will be constructed by the National Organization of Minority Architects (NOMA) of Central Texas and aims to engage users in “self-reflection in the pursuits of connectivity and aesthetic enjoyment,” PowerPoint presentation on the event said.

LUNA

This installation is inspired by the sun and moon. It seeks to “illuminate the invisible bond between our environment and each other,” the presentation said. 

INVENTORIES 

400-600 plastic bottles will be lit up in the creek for this installation, as commentary on taking inventory of plastic waste in waterways. 

GOOD-VIBRATIONS

Located at the exit of the show, this installation will feature cave-like attributes but disco-fied. Aimed to reflect what Austin looks like underground, the GOOD-VIBRATIONS will have stalagmite and stalactite-like structures covered in mirrored pieces. 

TUNNEL VISION!

“Tunnel Vision! is inspired by the massive 24’ diameter underground concrete Waller Creek Tunnel that runs from Waterloo Park to Lady Bird Lake. A series of concentric lighted rings focuses the viewer on the dome of the state Capitol, with an interactive light show,” according to the presentation. 

The Waterloo Greenway project

The Waterloo Greenway initiative is a three-part project with ambitions to create 35 acres of restored and improved public park space. It has already completed Phase 1 of the project, which produced Waterloo Park, Moody Amphitheater and Symphony Square.

Phase 2 should begin this year with the groundbreaking of a new park called The Confluence, which will span from Lady Bird Lake to 4th St. Target completion for this park is 2025. 

The entire project is estimated to cost $265 million – funded by a mix of public and private sponsors. Greenway staff anticipates completing the project by 2026.