Magical and miniature: Raleigh unveils its smallest park
By Heather Leah
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RALEIGH, North Carolina (WRAL) — Downtown Raleigh just unveiled a magical, miniature park full of mushrooms, murals and sunflowers.
The ribbon was cut on Raleigh’s smallest park in early June. The urban park is part natural space, part art exhibit, featuring a small strip of green space with giant spotted toadstools, flashy giant sunflowers and a peaceful green bench.
The park’s backdrop is a popular mural by local artist Gabriel Eng-Goetz called ‘Parks for the People.’ The brightly-colored, vivid mural highlights the past and present of the Dix Park site while honoring the positive impact of green spaces. The new urban park was built beneath it, a three-dimensional, interactive art installation built by another local artists named Katie Stewart.
“The small park brings the mural to life,” says a description of the park.
The park includes mushroom stools and large sunflower sun-catchers. Stewart incorporated recycled materials throughout the park, according to the Dix Park Conservancy, Downtown Raleigh Alliance and Artsplosure – three organizations behind the exhibit.
The three-dimensional park seems to grow right out of the two-dimensional mural – as if the art itself is coming to life and flowing through downtown Raleigh.
“Like the mural, Stewart’s pieces encourage visitors to ponder both the natural resources and historical richness that make Dix Park – and Raleigh – an engaging place to explore,” the organizations explained.
If you’d like to visit the tiny urban oasis for yourself, it can be found at 7 S. West Street near the intersection of Hillsborough Street, between Roast Grill and State of Beer.
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