By JAN McLAUGHLIN
BG Independent News
Artist Etta Gallaway had a blank canvas – or rather a brick wall – to create art that could catch the eyes of young visitors at Simpson Garden Park.
“They gave me pretty much free rein over the design,” said Gallaway, a Bowling Green Parks and Recreation staff member, who has a bachelor’s in fine arts from BGSU.
She toyed with plants or people, but settled on insects.
“I had such a fondness for insects when I was a kid,” Gallaway said with a grin.
She was fascinated with how tiny bugs were, making her feel like a giant in comparison. Her mural on an exterior wall at Simpson Garden Park Building is a role reversal. Gallaway is small next to the giant paintings of butterflies, a praying mantis, worm, and ladybugs.
On Thursday afternoon, as she removed the paint tape around the edges, she marveled at the mural.
“It’s so exciting,” she said.
Gallaway is hoping the mural may get kids thinking of the insects they share the world with.
“I’m not sure, but I don’t think kids get outside as much as I did,” she said. “Hopefully this will spark some curiosity.”
The mural is just one part of a makeover underway in the children’s area of Simpson Garden Park.
Originally created in 2008, the kids’ area was due for some sprucing up, said Mike Przysiecki, the parks operations coordinator.
As Przysiecki worked on the inside of the giant clay pot structure on Thursday, he paused to check out the completed mural.
“I’m blown away,” he said. “I knew she was good. I had no idea she was this good.”
He complimented the realism of the art. “It’s like I’m looking at a 3-D picture. It changes the mood of the space.”
The clay pot structure is undergoing an evolution of its own. Garden Manager Adessa Miller and Przysiecki have been working to spruce up the paint, add interior walls and flooring, and windows to let in some light.
The pond has a new liner, new filter and new aquatic plants.
The herbs are gone, and bright zinnias have been added. A grassy area has been added for children to play on.
“We’re trying to make it kid-friendly,” Miller said.
Some of the original plans for the children’s space were made through the lenses of adults. This time around they have occasionally relied on Miller’s little sister as a sounding board.
“It’s an evolution,” Przysiecki said. “We’re constantly interacting with the public. There’s no shortage of opinions.”
Some old evergreen trees have been removed, and there are plans to add a Sycamore tree. Przysiecki has fond memories as a child of scrawling treasure maps on the huge sheets of bark that Sycamore trees shed. He’s hoping children here can find that same joy.
This past summer, when BG Parks and Recreation Director Kristin Otley announced the sprucing up project, she talked about the need to update the kids area.
“It is in need of a little bit of a refresh,” Otley said.
The goal of the garden is to get kids outside.
“I just want them to come outside and have fun in nature,” Otley said.
A grand opening for the new children’s area will be planned next spring.
