(Lander, WY) – A years-long community art project came to life Saturday morning in Lander’s Jaycee Park, where the Potters of the Wind Rivers unveiled a public ceramic kiosk dedicated to the Popo Agie watershed.
The seven-sided structure, installed along the Lander River Walk on the first block of North First Street, features hand-carved, glazed ceramic tile murals, with each panel created by a different artist from the group. The artwork depicts native plants and animals of the river ecosystem, with each panel reflecting the individual style of its maker.
A group of artists came together four years ago because they wanted something new to work on. “We were a little burned out with the art show thing,” said Reeves Johnson. “So we came up with the idea of a public art display, which I’d helped out with in other cities before.”
Artists work in Jenny Reeves-Johnson’s art studio. The art project is four years in the making, with contributions from seven artists and many other members from the community. h/t Carl Cote Jenny Reeves-Johnson makes minor adjustments so the spacing is right amongst the tiles on a panel. “We put a lot of car into the details of these panels,” said Reeves-Johnson. “I had Laura Beard (a biologist) come in to make sure I got my bat right 2-3 times.” h/t Carl Cote 
One of the panels depicts river creatures on its bottom. h/t Carl Cote Carolyn Orr, left, and Rachel Russel, right, help other guild members fill in grout around art on the center piece. h/t Carl Cote Carolyn Orr holds a bucket steady for Cristin Zimmer as she mixes cement grout with a power drill while the group assembles the art panels. h/t Carl Cote
With an idea in mind, the group went around raising money to pay for the project.
“Raising money wasn’t the hard part of this one,” said Reeves-Johnson. “In fact, everybody we went to gave us money… Water for Wildlife even gave us $5000.”
The artists joined forces with the library back in November in an agreement where the Library housed the seven panels during the winter months before it was able to be installed in Jaycee Park. Members and volunteers carried the heavy panels in from pickup trucks and into the library, where they stayed until the weather improved and construction could take place.
At the unveiling, over 50 people came, some led by the Lander Pipe Band, walking from the Lander Art District Street Fair happening a block away, to listen to the story of the piece from the people who made it.
The Lander Pipe Band crossed Main Street on Second Street on their way to the art dedication Saturday morning in Lander. h/t Carl Cote Landerites gather in Jaycee Park next to the Popo Agie River for the dedication of a new art installation Saturday. h/t Carl Cote Jenny Reeves-Johnson talks about the art and the community that made it happen Saturday morning at Jaycee Park in Lander. h/t Carl Cote Rachel Russel ran to help pull down the canvas during the unveiling Saturday. h/t Carl Cote Lander community development coordinator Anne Even spoke about the new art installation giving thanks to donors and the artists who gave their vision and time to the project. h/t Carl Cote
“We want viewers to engage with the piece through sight and touch, to enjoy, reflect, and to learn what we have going on here,” said Jenny Reeves-Johnson, who led the project. “The Popo Agie River, a precious and rare ecosystem, is our backyard.”
Reeves-Johnson described the installation as a gift to the city, meant to put down roots in the community for the long haul. “Other outdoor clay murals that I’ve done have kids’ art on it, and those kids, some of them, are now grandparents,” she said. “Those grandkids go up to these murals and touch them and think, my mom made that when she was 13.”
The project received support from the City of Lander, the LOR Foundation, the Popo Agie Anglers, Wyoming Game and Fish, and others who provided a species list to help artists accurately represent the local ecosystem.
Contributing artists include Cristin Zimmer, Carolina Jaramillo Schadebrodt, Dana Higby, Heather Foss, Shawna Pickinpaugh, Carolyn Orr, Shannon Wachowski, Rachel Russell, and Bella Norton.