Created by world-renowned sculpture and fabric artist Janet Echelman, the magnificent art will hang overhead in the Park’s Arts Plaza. The butterfly theme highlights the area as an important corridor for the monarch butterfly’s migration. The piece was installed across several days with the work being tensioned atop its massive pylons on Thursday, June 27. Butterfly Rest Stop represents one of the largest outdoor public art installations in Texas and is a truly significant contribution to Frisco’s Public Art Program.
Butterfly Rest Stop explores the interconnectedness of humans and nature in the public sphere. Butterflies and other pollinators play an important role in Earth’s ecosystem, but monarch numbers have declined in recent years due to the loss of milkweed along their migratory routes that pass through Frisco each year. The design of Butterfly Rest Stop echoes the forms, patterns and colors of milkweed flowers. Made of ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene fibers like those used by NASA to tether the Mars Rover, the sculpture is comprised of two five-petaled forms that float gently in the air. The intricately designed work uses nearly 90 miles of fiber to create the 165-foot-long span. To further the pollinator message, native milkweed has been added to the Park’s Arts Plaza to welcome monarch butterflies to the Park.
“Great art enhances our lives and causes us to step back from our daily routines and think about the world we live in,” said Craig Hall, founder and chairman of Hall Group. “Janet Echelman’s unique works have inspired millions around the world, and we are thrilled to bring her newest creation to the great city of Frisco.”
“Janet’s ability to interpret the natural world in such a beautiful way makes her an ideal partner for Kaleidoscope Park,” said Shawn Jackson, Executive Director of the Kaleidoscope Park Foundation. “We are honored to showcase the work of this world-renowned artist as the iconic image for the Park.”
Echelman is known for creating large-scale artworks that transform with wind and light, changing shape and color in response to the forces of nature. Her works have been displayed in Singapore, Sydney, Shanghai, Santiago, Beijing, Boston, New York and London. Butterfly Rest Stop is Echelman’s first permanent Texas art installation.
“It’s meaningful to me to be asked to contribute to this new, beautiful public park for North Texas. When I learned the monarch butterflies migrate through the area each October, I wanted to plant milkweed underneath to help create a sustaining pollinator corridor, and to suspend my first flower-inspired sculpture in the sky to remind us of our interconnected destinies, and of the interconnected systems of the natural world of which we are a small part,” Echelman said.
The public is invited to view Butterfly Rest Stop and the complete Kaleidoscope Park during its Grand Opening this fall. Once open, the Park will offer free programming that reflects the unique character of North Texas, including concerts, diverse musical and dance performances, and a variety of health and recreational activities. The Park will also feature a children’s play area, dog park, performance lawns, technology terraces, shaded promenades and plazas.
The city of Frisco is enthusiastic about the impact Craig Hall has had on the public art environment for residents and visitors. The City of Frisco Public Art Program promotes cultural, aesthetic, and economic vitality in Frisco, Texas by integrating the work of artists into public places, civic infrastructure, and development of the community.”
“Craig Hall has always been passionate about art, which aligns with the City of Frisco’s commitment to our public art program,” said Mayor Jeff Cheney. “We’re excited to be home to Butterfly Rest Stop. The signature sculpture will help showcase Kaleidoscope Park and create an amazing gathering place for our residents, members of our business community, as well as visitors.”
The six-acre Kaleidoscope Park is located near the Dallas North Tollway at Warren Parkway in Frisco, Texas, and in neighboring distance to The Star, Stonebriar Centre, Legacy West, The Shops at Legacy, The Boardwalk and Granite Park.
Butterfly Rest Stop by the numbers
- 791,788 knots tied by hand and by loom
- 88.9 miles twine in netting
- 3,423 lbs weight of sculpture
- 165 ft length of total sculpture (including rope structure)
- 133 ft length of sculpture net
- 65 ft highest point
- 106 mph design wind load
- 9,090 sf projected area of net in plan
- 3,967 sf surface area of netting
