A new public art project entitled Open House—celebrating housing and families—was recently installed in the Bluff Lake neighborhood. The artist, Ty Gillespie, from Paonia, Colorado, says “Families, children, and housing are the essence of Central Park and my sculpture is about housing and for families.”

Open House is an interactive sculpture that features the framework of two weathered steel house structures connected by a walkway of three roof-shaped arches. Each 10-foot square house has a front porch and seating inside. One house is quiet; it incorporates a bench from the park design. The other house has a game table and two seats welcoming more activity. An Open House sign in front greets visitors.

This artwork is the final public art project commissioned by Park Creek Metropolitan District with funding from the Denver Urban Renewal Authority (DURA).

Thanks go to the more than 145 people from the Central Park neighborhoods, the arts community, and others who were directly involved in the selection process for these artworks. From Founders Fountain (2003) to Open House (2021), the community has a public art collection with 15 sculptures that were funded by DURA to explore and enjoy.

For more information about public art at Central Park, please contact Barbara Neal, Public Art Consultant for Central Park, at barbneal@mindspring.com. Photo by Vicki Kerr