About This Piece

The artist team of Walczak & Heiss created four stainless steel and aluminum sculptures (Whereami, Flood, Zephyr and Conversation) with the overall project titled Markers depicting the culture and history of the Cole and Clayton neighborhoods. The artwork aims to celebrate the neighborhoods and help instill a sense of continuity throughout the Greenway by providing a progression and narrative to unify the public spaces. The artists worked closely with students from the Bruce Randolph School to design the “Whereami” sculpture elements. 

39th Avenue Greenway is more than a park—it is an essential part of infrastructure that collects and directs rainwater during a flood. This piece is connected to the park by highlighting a catastrophic Denver flood from 1965, a projected 100-year flood that has yet to happen, and the impact of Denver’s history of flooding on the local neighborhoods. Housed below a ghostly water tower shaped structure reminiscent of one removed nearby, a map of Denver has the flood events marked with glass marbles. “We wanted to do a piece that had a direct connection to the actual function of the site,” the artists say. “It’s a playful way of reminding everyone why they’re there.”

The works explore the evolving significance of the Clayton and Cole neighborhoods, the area that is home to the park, to residents past and present. All of the works are interactive and allow visitors to engage with each piece. Though each work is unique, they all share the same distinctive red-orange hue. They are also grounded in their connection to the site—whether it marks a direction, references local history, or embodies community connections. Markers was inspired by a diversity of sources, including the local community and historical research.

Learn more about Markers on the artists' website.