Moving Tug-of-War

The Museum has moved the Tug-of-War sculpture by Glenna Goodacre as construction on the West Texas Eco-Garden continues.

Tug-of-War, a cast bronze sculpture done in 1988, has been moved into the collections area until a new base is constructed and the popular sculpture can be placed in a new home inside the Museum. Tug-of-War should be back on view in a few months.

The museum's northern entrance and parking lot remain open during construction.

Over time, the Eco-Garden will interpret the major natural habitats of West Texas, telling stories of the evolution of the High Plains and how humans have adapted to living in the region's wide open spaces.

The garden will feature a diverse landscape using plants that are found in the region around Lubbock such as shortgrass prairie plants. Shortgrass prairie is one of the major types of grassland in North America and comprises a mix of grasses and other annual and perennial flowering plants.

A dominate feature of the Eco-Garden plan is an area that is representative of an arroyo that will form an entryway to the main northern doors of the museum. Arroyos are washes that divert water after rains but are dry for much of the year.

The project's goal is to achieve a highly sustainable landscape that requires minimal or no additional watering. Materials such as the concrete and bricks torn up by the construction will be reused in forming the arroyo. Eventually, there will be lighting, seating, and shade trees, creating an area that will be both educational and lovely to visit.

The West Texas eco-garden is made possible by the generous support of the CH Foundation, and funding through the landscape enhancement program of the Texas Tech University System. The system allocates 1 percent of the estimated total cost of each new construction project or each repair and rehabilitation project that exceeds $500,000 for landscape enhancement and an additional 1 percent for the acquisition of public art. The funding comes from the recent life safety project at the Museum.