Sweet Pea and SLAM are proud to announce that their collaborative SWEET SLAM public art project, “The Joy of Water” by Bozeman mosaic artist Lisa Lord has received a beautification award from the City of Bozeman. The spirit of the Sweet SLAM collaborations is to fund and spearhead public art installations that beautify our communal spaces, showcase the talent of Montana artists, and offer unique opportunities for all members of our community to experience art in their daily lives.

In 2019, the two art institutions embarked on their second public art project together and commissioned Lisa Lord to design and install a mosaic to grace the north wall of the only public outdoor pool in Bozeman at Bogert Park. The Friends of Bogert Pool along with The Bozeman Friends of Parks were in the process of coordinating major upgrades to the Bogert Pool, including revamping the bathrooms and replacing the entrance doors, and the opportunity to include a lasting art installation during renovations was too good to pass up.

Lisa’s unique vision and years of experience culminated in “The Joy of Water”. This colorful mosaic depicts the dynamic and reflective motion of water and greets pool goers and park visitors with a stunning visual experience as they enter Bogert Park. Lisa invited community members to participate in the tedious process of adhering each and every piece of the glass and metal mosaic to the concrete wall of the pool. Lisa then finished the piece by applying grout in the negative spaces between the glass and metal pieces that will hold the installation in place for years to come.

The Friends of Bogert Park nominated the installation for the city’s beautification awards, and the selection committee agreed that this wonderful piece of public art deserves some recognition.

ABOUT SWEET PEA FESTIVAL:

The Sweet Pea Festival is a three-day festival of the arts held in Bozeman, Montana, since 1978. Festival dates are always the first full weekend in August with other events, such as Chalk on the Walk and The Bite of Bozeman starting off the festivities of Sweet Pea Week. The festival includes everything from music, theatre and dance, to children’s activities, arts, and crafts vendors from Bozeman and around the country, and adult painting workshops. The Sweet Pea Festival is committed to its mission statement of “promoting and cultivating the arts.”

Hundreds of volunteers run and organize this annual event, a testament to the community’s desire for its ongoing success. All monies raised above what is needed to operate the festival are given back to the community in the form of grants for the arts, art education, and special projects in the Bozeman area. Where art and community meet.