Roosevelt Sophomore Creates “Street Art” for Des Moines
Roosevelt sophomore Ellie Duong poses with her award-winning design for new manhole covers that will be installed throughout Des Moines.
Ellie Duong is only a high school sophomore but her artwork will soon be on public display all over the city. Artwork that she actually created as a 9th grader will leave a lasting mark on her hometown.
Last year Ellie’s teacher in Intro to 2D/3D Art at Roosevelt High School, Jeana Calvert, got wind of a contest sponsored by the City of Des Moines soliciting designs for manhole covers as part of a campaign to raise awareness of storm water pollution.
Storm water pollution has a big impact on local water quality. Contrary to a widespread misconception, runoff from streets, parking lots, and driveways does not make its way to a treatment plant before release into the environment. All of the pollution it carries (litter, pet waste, lawn fertilizers, leaves, grass clippings, automobile oils, and road salt), eventually flows untreated into local creeks, streams, and rivers.
At a press conference Monday morning in the Roosevelt auditorium, Ellie was recognized as the contest’s winning artist. Her work will be featured on 300 manhole covers to be placed throughout the city as reminders to residents to help protect our water by being more conscientious about residues flowing from their properties into Central Iowa waterways.
There was plenty of wetland wildlife on hand, and Gil, the biggest bluegill you’ll ever see, but the central focus of the event was, of all things, a manhole cover.
Ellie’s design depicts water flowing between the fingers of a human hand in the foreground against a backdrop of the Des Moines skyline. It’s framed by the words: IT IS IN OUR HANDS – PROTECT OUR WATER.
“I had pretty much forgotten about the contest until last week,” said Ellie prior to the recognition ceremonies. Entries, by the way, were not limited to student submissions.
Des Moines Mayor Frank Cownie called her to the podium and awarded her a full-sized replica of the winning work that will be installed as the city completes storm water projects on streets around town. Call it a plaque, a trophy or a prototype; it’s a masterpiece in the rarely used medium of cast iron. She also received a check for $250.
“Last week Ellie wondered why she was being called to the office,” said Mayor Cownie. “It certainly wasn’t for any sort of punishment. It was to share the news that her beautiful artwork had been selected for this campaign.”
Chris Hensley represents the Roosevelt ward on the City Council and she said Ellie’s award-winning creation represents a merger of arts and science.
“This is a really neat tie-in between public artworks and green municipal infrastructure,” she said.
Now, in addition to the Pappajohn Sculpture Park, the I.M Pei-designed wing of the Art Center and the David Chipperfield Central Library, Des Moines boasts the avant-garde Duong manhole covers.
The first of them has already been installed on Center Street which runs adjacent to the Roosevelt campus between 42nd Street and Polk Boulevard. The rest will be coming soon to neighborhoods including yours.
Be sure to take a good look – and to look both ways before you do!
