A new piece of public art has been installed in Gardenside Park, and its official unveiling will take place on Tuesday, August 8 at 6pm. Dunbar High School art students created ceramic tiles depicting native plants under the direction of their teacher Deborah Eller and retired art teacher Elise Melrood, both Gardenside residents. Together the tiles form a colorful 4 foot by 8 foot mural.

The project is part of an LFUCG 2017 Stormwater Quality Incentive Grant. The purpose is to increase awareness of how native plants help to improve water quality. Since 2014, Gardenside Neighborhood Association has been working to establish a stream buffer along the creek in Gardenside Park, planting native trees, shrubs, and flowers such as tulip poplar, spicebush and asters. The stream buffer prevents erosion, filters stormwater to prevent pollutants from entering the stream, and provides food and habitat for pollinators and for birds, frogs and salamanders that help to control mosquitos. The stream that runs through the park is part of the Wolf Run Watershed that feeds Town Branch and eventually the Kentucky River.

The public is invited to the unveiling of the native plant mural on Tuesday, August 8 at 6pm in Gardenside Park, 1835 Yorktown Road, to meet the students who created this new piece of public art.