The sculpture is being installed in Byers Green on Camp Bowie.

FORT WORTH – If you’ve recently driven by Byers Green, the triangular green space at the intersection of Byers Avenue and Camp Bowie Boulevard, you’ve probably noticed the dirt is flying.

Earth Fountain, a public art project by artist Philippe Klinefelter, will consist of a nine-foot diameter granite orb, with a fountain of water flowing smoothly out of three openings in its hollowed center.

Carved out of a single, 30-ton block of Texas Sunset Red granite (the same granite used in the Tarrant County Courthouse), the fountain echoes the color of the Thurber brick used to pave Camp Bowie Boulevard. The sculpture will be installed into a specially designed concrete basin at the western end of the green space.

The sculpture’s design was inspired by how water comes from, shapes, and returns to the earth. The three openings in the sculpture are related to the angles of the three adjacent streets. The water flows out of the three openings over a carved, scaled representation of the local topography. Klinefelter carved the massive sculpture by hand in his Austin studio.

Fort Worth Public Art and Urban Green, a local nonprofit, teamed up for the project. Urban Green, an organization that works to improve public green spaces throughout the city, entered into an “Adopt A Park” agreement with the city for the Byers Green median. Urban Green is underwriting improvements to the site that include irrigation, electricity and pathways to the sculpture. Click for a plan of the Earth Fountain site.

The City of Fort Worth’s public art program commissioned Earth Fountain for Byers Green as part of its Long Range Public Art Plan for the 2004 CIP. The entire project is expected to be completed in June and the public will be invited to an unveiling celebration.

The Arts Council of Fort Worth & Tarrant County administers the city’s public art program. Fort Worth Public Art creates an enhanced visual environment for Fort Worth residents, commemorates the city’s rich cultural and ethnic diversity, integrates the design work of artists into the development of the city’s capital infrastructure improvements, and promotes tourism and economic vitality in the city through the artistic design of public spaces. To learn more, visit www.fwpublicart.org.