Town Lake Public Art

River Then, River Now, River Future  


The City of Tempe strives to make the art at Town Lake both functional and beautiful. Several  tree sculptures act as monuments for remembering or memorializing loved ones by persons who have contributed to the Leaves at the Lake program, formerly the Adopt-A-Tree program. One of the pieces of public art is the Words Over Water consists of 600 poems and images about people, water and Southwestern life. These capture emotions and the essence of desert living while also providing beauty for the levy around Town Lake. Even light fixtures and sidewalks have been decorated with elements that blend art with the traditional beauty of the area.

The Tempe City Council in 1994 amended the Rio Salado Specific Plan by adopting a public art master plan for the Rio Salado Overlay District. The City's mandate to include wide public participation resulted in an unprecedented dialogue uncovering the potential for art and culture in the Rio Salado area. The art plan's theme, "Discover the past, engage the present, serve the future," binds the program together by serving as a springboard encouraging many related interpretations.

The City of Tempe's Cultural Services Division administers the City's public art program, art-in-private development, community arts and programming, and manages the City's arts facilities. The Division works with the Tempe Municipal Arts Commission whose mission is to create an atmosphere in which the arts can flourish and inspire Tempe citizens to recognize the arts as essential to the whole life of the community.