Her Secret is Patience

This is one of the most eye-catching pieces of public art that I have had the pleasure of seeing. It is located in the Civic Space Park and is the work of artist Janet Echelman who made the piece in 2009. Echelman got the name of the piece from a quote from Ralph Waldo Emerson. It is constructed of painted, galvanized steel, polyester twine netting, and an assortment of ground mounted colored lights that give the nets its color. The piece is not cheap though and costed $2.5 million. The massive piece starts at 38 feet off the ground and extends to 100 feet in the air. To give it more perspective, the piece's largest ring is about 100 feet wide. The piece is intended to resemble a cumulus clouds. However, I see a tornado or jelly fish when I looked at it. It was given the title of Best Public Art by the Phoenix New Times.The wonderful mix of blue, orange and purple just draws you in like a moth to a flame. It is cool to visit during the day, but is amazing at night. The color of the piece changes constantly with the seasons throughout the year.The piece is not without its critics. Many people question the cost of the piece and whether that money could have been used elsewhere. Additionally, the piece's nets and lighting has to be replaced every five years, which makes this piece a gift that keeps on costing. It is unknown how much this periodic maintenance costs the city.This piece has metered street parking located within a reasonable walking distance, as well as commercial parking lots. There is also a train stop right in front of the piece, if you are plan on taking public transportation to get there.I really like this piece. It is a marvel, but I too am a critic of the price tag and reassuring maintenance fee. This piece can rally become the face of the city and one of its iconic images. It is very picturesque and Instagramable. Anyway, as with most public art that I have visited and reviewed, this is not a long stop. I was there less than 10 minutes. So, you may want to consider making this stop part of a larger itinerary to maximize your time and trip. You can start with Civic Space park, where the piece is located.

"What was this called again?? She is the Patience?" Lol. Sorry... I forgot the name.First time in Arizona and I brought my camera hoping to take some pictures in the area.Hopped on the Fotospot app and saw that this big ol art piece was only a few miles away.. So I knew this was a spot I had to visit. So my friend and I rolled out to find this piece. Definitely was a site to see. Got some good shots. And off we went.I do agree that some of the surrounding areas do look a little sketch. But the area where Her Secret is Patience is at was pretty clean and not a lot of people there.

Interesting art installation by Janet Echelman called "Her Secret is Patience". The Sculpture symbolizes the desert's flora and it is suspended 100 feet above ground in the Civic Space Park. Come at night and you will experience an interesting sight of the art installation.

Created in 2009, Janet Echelman's three-dimensional art installation hovers above Civic Space Park in downtown Phoenix, swaying in the breeze and shifting shapes. During the day, it casts interesting shadows and at night, and it is illuminated and changes colors with the seasons. Initially named Sky Bloom, the final project title references a Ralph Waldo Emerson quote: "Adopt the pace of nature; her secret is patience." I find this piece is best enjoyed at night- if you're just popping by for a few minutes to take some photos, you might get lucky and snag a spot in front of the ASU Journalism School building. Note that there aren't any bathrooms or water fountains in this particular park.

Check it out! Learn more about it on Atlas Obscura. It is a cool art installation by Janet Echelman. Located in Phoenix Civic Space Park, it is convenient to downtown areas. Based on the Ralph Waldo Emerson quote "Adopt the pace of nature, her secret is patience", beautiful!

Thanks to an online blog, that I fail to recall the name of, they provided a list of the top public art pieces around the United States. At that time I had bookmarked "Her Secret is Patience" and now I find myself in Phoenix at night with the freedom to check it out. This 145-foot-tall aerial sculpture is by artist Janet Echelman (with the help of many local companies) and hangs above downtown Phoenix's Civic Science Park. The park is surrounded by ASU's downtown campus and like many other cities you most likely will encounter harmless homeless in the park--not to detour you from visiting! The entire sculpture (term used "loosely" without any pun intended) is made of of recyclable hand-baiting and machine-loomed knotting with LED lights shining at it. Based on the season when you visit, the colors change with warmer (red/orange) tones during the summer and cooler tones (blue/purple) during the winter. While night is truly when her true colors 'shine,' it is also impressive during the day based on the size and shadows it casts on the park grounds. Echelman says that it reminds her of the monsoon cloud formations and the shadows they cast upon the desert. For me, it took me back to my Midwestern homeland during tornado season with the sky alternating colors in front of your eyes while a funnel cloud forms. If you're in town, be sure to check out this free public art!

This was a really quick stop, was traveling with 2 small children. We didn't know the area to well, but it seemed a little sketch a night. People lingering and being loud. Could of been nothing, but I didn't know the area too well. Its pretty cool to see though. Nothing much in the area to do. I believe up the street are some eateries. I think this is all part of ASU.

Check out HER SECRET IS PATIENCE !Highly recommend at night when you're in the area. It glows up the park and just dazzling to stare at.