The Nest II
Created by artist Julia LaBay Darrah in 2014. (repaired and enhanced in 2019)
The visual nature of Julia LaBay’s work varies from time to time, but she always finds unique ways to combine materials. For inspiration, LaBay revisits significant events from life experiences. Rather than creating a realistic portrait of those experiences. She seeks to create metaphorical interpretations.
Her work has been shown regionally as well as nationally at galleries and museums including the Toledo Museum of Art, Northern Kentucky University and Mary Grove College Detroit, MI.
LaBay has won several awards and grants for her artistic creations. Most recently was awarded a grant to create a body of work for the Interactive Art Festival for the Toledo Arts Commission.
Clue #1
Park in the upper parking lot.
Enter the park and continue
down around the curvy path.
Clue #2
Head north when you reach
the fork in the road.
Travel over where the water
flows, then continue down the
hill to the bend in the road.
Clue #3
Look closely and beneath the vegetation you’ll find a place of protection from the outside world.
Dublin Kiwanis Riverway Park, a natural wetland, is a habitat and safe haven for a wide variety of birds and plants. Wetlands clean and purify water. With more than 85% of its wetlands gone, Ohio’s diversity has also declined. Not only do wetlands help clean the water before it runs to waterways but they also hold run-off water so areas do not drain too quickly, causing flash flooding.
PARKING COORDINATES
N 40º05.803'
W 083º 06.528'
GPS COORDINATES
N 40º05.850'
W 083º 06.600'
GC CODE: GC8DTVD
Be inspired!
The Nest Riverbox was inspired by cliff swallow nests. The artist was drawn to the unusual shape of theses nests, the way in which they’re constructed and the fact that the birds were once a rarity in the region. While the artwork captures the element of nature, it also relates to domestic life. The artist states, “I think of the nest as a home; a place of protection from the outside world.”
As you spot other animals in Kiwanis Riverway Park, think about what their homes or nests might look like. What unique protections do their dwellings offer them?
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