The Bugs Have Found a Home

“Welcome to the Park”

After over a year, several larger-than-life bugs, created through the efforts of local artist/sculpture Jeremy Cooper and students from One Step Up at the HOPE Center at Lincoln School in Lamar, have finally found their home in Willow Creek Park.

“What Are You Looking At?”

Two or three of the unique creations dot the landscape surrounding the skate board park and one apparently landed on the welcoming sign at the southwest corner of the park near the bridge. They’re durable, they’re colorful, they’re one-of-a-kind and are the result of a collaboration of ideas that came from the imaginations of the students and the talents of Cooper.

The ideas for the bugs have been in development for over a year. They look like they came to life from a bunch of junkyard parts, used parts, mostly metal and ceramic and were cannibalized from pieces of discarded equipment.  Cooper said anything was up for grabs and that included wheel spokes, springs, levers, ceiling fan blades, rocker arms and assorted what-nots.

At the outset, advisor, Emily Nieschburg explained that while students have wanted their own skateboard park, they also decided that when it came to pass, they wanted some form of decoration for the park that was unique. To that end, the kids spent part of their summer going into their backyards, or asking for donations of discarded items door-to-door in their neighborhoods until they felt they had enough materials to start creating something.  It was bugs.

Working with Mr. Cooper

Jeremy Cooper, who has worked with the students on past mural projects, assembled the assortment of parts into some bug-like creatures and had the students select the best colors to match the nature of the creation. Over the past winter, the students have been applying several layers of paint to the sculptures.  They also received approval from the Lamar City Council to position their bugs around the skateboard park once it was completed.  The city incorporated several three foot by three foot concrete pads which are securing the bugs to the ground.

By Russ Baldwin