Showing the evolution of the community in Handley-Meadowbrook, the artwork references signature elements of the area such as the Interurban Railway, which ran from Fort Worth to Lake Erie, and the Pike Drive-In Theater. Beck also included portraits of present-day community members and City of Fort Worth police officers. Inherent in the design of this artwork is the theme of unity, between generations of East Fort Worth, between culturally diverse groups of people, and between police officers and community members. The combination of past and present alludes to the future of East Fort Worth with the sentiment that all are a “piece of the puzzle.”
Community involvement in this piece extends beyond imagery and input as Beck worked solely with local professionals to see the project through to completion. The artist worked with Fort Worth-based company Alternative Cutting Methods to cut aluminum puzzle piece shapes with water-jet technology; he also partnered with Aaron Smith of BSM Painting Studio in Weatherford, Texas to complete the application of automotive paint.
Pieces of Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow includes 27 individual puzzle pieces, 8 large-scale panels, and over 900 layers of paint. In its entirety, the artwork is approximately 10 feet high by 80 feet long.
This public art project was funded by the 2004 Bond Program and dedicated to the City of Fort Worth on November 16, 2018.
