by Kim Hilsenbeck
If you’ve seen decorated rocking chairs in random spots around town, you’re not alone. Thanks to the folks from Plum Creek, who dreamed up this “Rock the Porch” idea, Kyle residents can enjoy the whimsy and fun of these rocking chairs that serve a dual purpose of art appreciation and provoking thought.
Similar to the Cow Parade of Chicago and Guitar Town up in Austin, Rock the Porch is a public art initiative designed to engage both the community and the city to provoke thoughts of what it means to be a neighbor and to inspire conversations among neighbors. According to the organizers, it is an opportunity to showcase the creative talent of the people of Hays County, while creating places for people to engage and interact with each other, the artwork itself and the areas in which they will be placed.
In May, Plum Creek selected 15 artistic individuals and groups to create an artistic, sculptural piece that speaks to the specific location in which it will be placed, for example, Plum Creek’s dog park, Seton Medical Center Hays and Lake Kyle.
The artists received a rocking chair kit and then began the journey to create a visual dialogue to inspire conversations among neighbors. Organizers say Rock the Porch is a fight against the sameness of today’s standard of residential development, offering a way to connect and unite different land use types.
While residential, commercial, civic and natural spaces may seem disparate and incompatible, Plum Creek believes there should be a dialogue among them.
The initiative’s goal is to encourage people to think about and realize how these spaces complement each other, and to demonstrate that when united, they become much more meaningful and engaging than apart.
