Back in September when I went to the Iowa Arboretum to take some flower pictures I also went to Jester Park. If I’m having a lazy Saturday or a day off from the workhole that is a pretty common double header for me. Two of my favorite places to visit. And if I’m ambitious and have the time, sometimes I even make it a triple header and throw Ledges into the mix. Particularly the Lost Lake Trail. If it is a great day, I will throw the High Trestle Trail between Madrid and Woodward into the mix. That would make a great day of some great area parks. Not one of them ever gets old.
On this trip to Jester Park I spent time photographing some of the great public art they have on display. For those of you from Boone, public art is art in any medium that is planned and executed with the intention of being accessible to the general public. Positioned in shared outdoor or indoor spaces, it is designed to enhance civic environments, reflect community values, and encourage social engagement, functioning beyond the traditional confines of museums or galleries.
I mostly concentrated on a 7 foot by 8 foot bison sculpture named Prairie Reflections by the artist Steve Huffman. According to the Jester Park website:
Prairie Reflections represents Iowa’s heritage and the captive herds that have been present in the park since the 1960’s. Repurposed objects were used to create the bison. There are over 15 symbols hidden on the bison representing activities you can experience during your visit to Jester.
https://www.jesterparknaturecenter.com/media/78383/our-brand-logo-1.pdf
Can you find the 15 symbols? Go ahead and try. I know I can’t:
Then I visited a whimsical frog sculpture that is one of my favorite things in Jester Park. There is a water pump nearby that allows you to control the water the frog spits out.
Finally I spent some time with Queen. A 25 foot by 3 foot sculpture by Victoria Reed. It is another beautiful sculpture in Jester Park.
I can’t wait until I make another trip to Jester Park. Quite possibly on Thursday!