Fort Worth’s Como public art project showcased at international exhibition

One of the best pieces of public art in Fort Worth is now on display.

Well, in Venice, Italy.

“Do Something Good For Your Neighbor,” the small pavilion set on Lake Como by the Art Studio at RDG Planning & Design’s Matt Niebuhr and David Dahlquist, is among the designs exhibited at the 19th International Architecture Exhibition — La Biennale di Venezia, in Venice, Italy.

It is among the most prestigious in the world. Think of it like the Olympics of architecture, celebrating ideas and achievements in the field but without the competition.

The installation, built in 2021 and owned by Fort Worth Public Art, was one of 54 projects selected for the exhibition, “PORCH: An Architecture of Generosity,” which was commissioned by the United States State Department and organized by the Fay Jones School of Architecture and Design at the University of Arkansas, in partnership with DesignConnects and the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art. (Jones, who was an acclaimed midcentury architect, designed the Leonard Chapel at the Lena Pope Home.)

It honors William H. Wilburn, Sr., a community leader and founder and publisher of The Lake Como Weekly and Amon G. Carter Sr., who each played a vital role in the establishment of the park in the 125-year-old neighborhood.

The weathered steel structure was designed as a figurative and physical frame for the community to sit and reflect on the lake. Made with custom carved benches from 100-year-old white oak with words and phrases taken from the historic weekly publication and other documents engraved throughout the sculpture with “Do Something Good For Your Neighbor,” the Weekly’s masthead artwork being the most prominent. Opposite each other are two triangular plates honoring Wilburn and Carter with the roof bringing them together. It received the AIA Iowa Chapter — Excellence Design Merit Award.

“’Do Something Good For Your Neighbor’ is more than a provocative public art sculpture in nature, it is a powerful invitation to engage a proud community with respect for its history and vision of dignity. When art professionals, leaders and neighbors dare to come together and listen to each other with receptive hearts and open minds, and generously share their passions and expertise, something beautiful and enduring is created,” said Estrus Tucker, who was chair of the Fort Worth Art Commission at the time of the work’s dedication.

The curators see the porch as a distinctly American design that represents country’s ideals (democracy and collaboration just to name a few).

When the 54 exhibitors were announced in February, juror Austen Barron Bailly, chief curator at the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art and the Momentary, said “The jury process affirmed the power of the American porch as a design concept that resonates with all types of communities and fosters positive connections. The selected porches’ aesthetic allure and civic vision reveal the spirit of invitation essential for the people who activate these spaces, and they promise to create a lively and transporting exhibition for the U.S. Pavilion.”

Confluence Park in San Antonio, a collaboration between architecture firm Lake Flato and Houston design firm Matsys, is also featured in the exhibition, which runs through November 23.

This story was originally published June 11, 2025 at 4:40 PM.