Birds of Bastrop — Site-Specific Public Sculpture (2026)

Amanda Barry Jones’s design was selected by the City of Bastrop Cultural Arts Committee for the Birds of Bastrop Sculpture Project. Submitted in May 2025, the site-specific permanent sculpture incorporates bird imagery in celebration of Bastrop’s designation as a Bird City and was designed to attach to the pedestrian bridge railing. Completed in January 2026 and unveiled on January 10, the work now adorns the Chestnut Street pedestrian bridge near the Bastrop Convention Center and Visitor Center.

Amanda Barry Jones says, “The 2024 storms—the May derecho and Hurricane Beryl—left profound marks on our communities, especially hard-hit Garden Oaks where I live and the Greater Heights where I once lived. Uprooting ancient oaks and pines—which served as namesakes and guardians of our neighborhoods—the storms left landscapes littered with massive piles of wood and debris.” At first glance, “Nature Reclaims: Wood Pile” is reminiscent of these storms’ destructive aftermaths, however, a closer inspection reveals the magical transformation taking place within the unearthed root ball and nooks and crannies of the tree’s broken stump. Here, Barry Jones has crafted insects, reptiles, birds, and mammals, giving new life to the planet through the decaying wood; turning a symbol of destruction into a celebration of nature’s resilience and the beauty hidden within the chaos.