Flowers for a Lady: New Butterfly Sculptures

On Monday, October 23, Willow Waterhole Greenspace Conservancy President Bill Burhans unveiled three magnificent sculptures honoring Kathleen Tinsley Ownby for her long-time dedication to Houston parks. These elegant pieces of art were created by renowned artist Rosalinda R. Toro.

Kathleen Tinsley Ownby is a much loved patron of Houston parklands, known especially through the Houston Spark School Park Program. Kathleen founded the program in 1983 and has served as its executive director since 1988. Having grown up in Willow Meadows and graduated from Westbury Hight School, she has a definite soft spot for Willow Waterhole Greenway. More than 200 Spark Parks can now be found in 17 Houston-area school districts.

Rosalinda R. Toro was commissioned to create a permanent installation at the Greenway. She selected blue butterflies in flight—completed just this month—to represent the transformation of parks in the city, and the concrete columns wrapped in colorful flower and bird mosaics to represent Kathleen’s love for flowers and respect for nature. A long-time Houston resident, Rosa has worked in every medium in the world of visual arts. Her favorite media are bronze, mosaic, stained glass, and copper. Of her 300 commissioned pieces, 40 are in the Houston area and many are found in Spark Parks.

Please come admire the new public art at Willow Waterhole Greenway. The butterfly sculptures are located near the Schwartz Gazebo at the end of Dryad Drive.