The Recreation Services Department joined forces with the Public Art Commission to finalize a plan for the park, which has been in the development stages since 2019.

At 4 p.m. Thursday there will be a public ribbon-cutting ceremony to introduce a walking path and five concrete pads for art pieces to be prominently displayed.

Sculptures will be exhibited for year-long cycles and replaced with new art annually. More walking paths and art pieces are expected to be added to the grounds as time passes.

Three sculptures have been installed for Thursday’s public unveiling.

-Submitted photo
One of the initial pieces of art on the newly-repurposed area of Expo Park in Fort Dodge.

“Exposition Park has been a blank slate since the pool was removed,” said Brooke Flattery, Fort Dodge senior city planner and staff liaison to the Public Art Commission. “The sculptures selected for the 2026 cycle were determined after the Public Art Commission put out a call for artists. Of the submissions we received, the group discussed and determined which ones they wanted to be installed for the season.

“The purpose (of the PAC) is to place, enhance and celebrate visual art in public spaces throughout Fort Dodge,” she added.

This is intended to be the first step in reinventing the space at the historic Fort Dodge park, which first served as the county fairgrounds a century ago.

“The (PAC) would like to build from this initial phase at Expo Park in the future by adding more spots for temporary art pieces, installing permanent sculptures, expanding the walking paths and offering additional park amenities for people of all ages,” Flattery said.

Flattery also noted the leases on the sculptures were covered from their own coffers.

-Submitted photo
A wooden sculpture is displayed on the newly-repurposed area of Expo Park in Fort Dodge.

“This fund is dedicated to paying for the maintenance and purchase of public art and associated site amenities in our community,” Flattery said. “When looking at the future expansion of the park, the group hopes to partner with local organizations and businesses to sponsor the various art pieces in this park.”

Public Art Commission members in Fort Dodge include Bill Griffel, Rochelle Green, Jennifer Condon, Shelly Bottorff, Scott Johnson, Amy Bruno, Deidra Miller-Clay, Webster County Supervisor Niki Conrad, Mayor Dave Flattery, Kerrie Kuiper and Saiya Norborikawa.

“Public art gives character to our environment and provides a sense of place,” Flattery said. “The art in our community is a reflection and celebration of our unique history and culture. Public art has social and economic value by transforming spaces into destinations where people want to congregate.”

The Expo Park pool opened for public use in 1928. The city of Fort Dodge obtained property rights in 1936. The final iteration of the pool area spanned from 1982 until its closing in 2009.

The pool was demolished in December 2013.

The Public Art Commission in Fort Dodge was established in 2019. The group has been involved in local projects like the Grain Silo Mural, the Floyd of Rosedale sculpture, the Chronicle, and the restoration of two bronze sculptures located at the Fort Dodge Public Library square, as well as raising funds for better lighting, landscaping and information/education around existing pieces of art.

Exposition Park, located in the 1300 block of North Seventh Street, is a 3.5-acre neighborhood plot that started as the location of the county fairgrounds. In the 1920s, the land featured a permanent amusement park with a rollercoaster, a carousel, a fun house and the city’s only rollerskating rink, as well as the Expo Pavillion and Ballroom. The “Cardiff Giant” also originally resided on its grounds.