Markers: Zephyr

The artist team of Walczak & Heiss created four stainless steel and aluminum sculptures (Whereami, Flood, Zephyr and Conversation) with the overall project titled Markers depicting the culture and history of the Cole and Clayton neighborhoods. The artwork aims to celebrate the neighborhoods and help instill a sense of continuity throughout the Greenway by providing a progression and narrative to unify the public spaces. The artists worked closely with students from the Bruce Randolph School to design the “Whereami” sculpture elements.

Time and place are united in Zephyr, as its dynamic form points to the site’s history as the location of a former rail line. In conceiving this project, “One of the things that popped up was the Burlington Zephyr, which was arguably the first successful streamliner train,” the artists said. “It set a speed record in 1934, running from Chicago to Denver, and it went right through the site on the rail lines that were extracted and removed from the site for this project to be done. We thought it would be great to bring back the train to this unassuming but historic place.”

The work captures the energetic feeling of a train whooshing through space and time as the metal swoops out, taking on the form of a train craning around a corner. Speaking about its creation, the artists said “We think about time and speed and your place in that relationship. The object is actually a sundial.” The sidewalk below the towering sculpture has been marked to correspond to the sculpture’s shadowy path as the day wears on.

The works explore the evolving significance of the Clayton and Cole neighborhoods, the area that is home to the park, to residents past and present. All of the works are interactive and allow visitors to engage with each piece. Though each work is unique, they all share the same distinctive red-orange hue. They are also grounded in their connection to the site—whether it marks a direction, references local history, or embodies community connections. Markers was inspired by a diversity of sources, including the local community and historical research.

Learn more about Markers on the artists' website.