Denver Public Art's newest addition – "On The Rise" at Denver Zoo
Denver Public Art's newest addition – "On The Rise" at Denver Zoo
Denver Arts & Venues is pleased to welcome its newest public artwork to the Denver Public Art Collection! “On The Rise," designed by Wendy Khawaja, was recently installed inside Denver Zoo’s The Edge, more than an acre of land providing habitat for its two Amur tigers, Yuri and Nikita.
"We are thrilled to welcome this unique new artwork into Denver's public art collection,” said Denver Public Art Program Manager Michael Chavez. “We’re always striving to try something new and I very much appreciate the collaboration and partnership with the Denver Zoo to make this one-of-a-kind artwork a reality.”
The artwork consists of circular, tiered platforms, designed to provide the magnificent Amur tigers a place to climb, jump, lounge, splash and play. The design was driven by a desire to provide tigers with a range of possibilities for interaction with the sculpture in their environment.
The large curved platforms and pedestals were cast in reinforced concrete and sited next to the exhibit's water feature. The tigers enjoy the sight, sound, and touch of the water splashing between platforms, guided by their curvatures and varied inclines.
“’On the Rise’ will give our tigers a unique way to do their favorite activities—explore, play, exercise and sleep,” said Brian Aucone, Denver Zoo’s senior vice president for animal sciences. “Aside from being a beautiful, intriguing piece of art for our guests, the sculpture gives our animal care team more enrichment options to help keep Nikita and Yuri healthy and happy.”
To learn more about this piece and other works in the Denver Public Art collection, please visit DenverPublicArt.org.