ARTS IN OUR PARK
We’re nesting the arts in Armstrong Park. #ArtsInOurPark
For more information, contact Ron Thompson at (575) 425-0914 or email ron@artsinourpark.org
PUBLIC ARTS
Public arts is any work that is created for public spaces and made available for everyone to experience. It can include sculptures, murals, mosaics, installations, digital art, performances, and temporary displays. Public art is designed to be accessible without an entry fee and is typically placed outdoors or in community spaces like parks, sidewalks, plazas, government buildings, and transportation centers.
The purpose of public art is to enhance the public environment, create a sense of community identity, encourage public dialogue, and bring art into everyday life. It can celebrate local culture and history, make shared spaces more welcoming, or inspire reflection and creativity among residents and visitors.
Public art may be permanent or temporary. It can range from large monuments to small interactive projects. Regardless of size or style, public art is intended to be experienced by a broad and diverse audience, offering opportunities for connection, conversation, and civic pride. Public art projects often involve artists working closely with local communities to ensure the work is meaningful and relevant to its location.
OUR PARK
Since the land for Armstrong Park in Duncanville, Texas, was first acquired in 1971, the site of the former Air Force Station has been the epicenter for connection and celebration for our entire community for over fifty years. Generations of residents have gathered in Armstrong Park to enjoy festivals, parades, concerts, live theater, art exhibitions, outdoor films, markets, literary events, community gardens, and wide green spaces.
This scenic, rolling 21-acre park and cultural district was once home to the nation’s largest all-volunteer-built wooden playground and features meandering pedestrian paths that connect visitors to nearby landmarks, civic buildings, historic sites, public art, pop-up galleries, family recreation, and arts-focused spaces.
Just outside the boundaries of Armstrong Park, new connections are linking visitors to surrounding areas in imaginative ways through cultural corridors to nearby neighborhoods, schools, businesses, restaurants, community theater, and the Downtown Duncanville District.
Definition
nesting
/ˈnɛstɪŋ/ noun
1. The intentional placement and support of arts organizations, programs, or creative activities within public spaces—especially Armstrong Park—to establish a permanent and integrated presence in community life.
2. A strategy used by Arts in Our Park to create long-term cultural infrastructure by giving artists and organizations a place to grow, belong, and lead.
Example: “We’re nesting the arts in Armstrong Park to build a permanent home for creativity in Duncanville.”
nested
/ˈnɛstɪd/ adjective
1. Situated or established within a specific place for the purpose of long-term growth, stability, and integration—especially used to describe arts organizations or programs placed in public spaces like Armstrong Park.
2. Embedded within a broader community framework to support sustained cultural, civic, and economic impact.
Example: “A nested arts organization brings consistent activity and leadership to the heart of the community.”
