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Hidden Creek at Erie Insurance Arena

About the Art

Located on French Street, between 8th and 9th streets in Erie, Pa.

This art installation, called Hidden Creek, tells the story of the Mill Creek Flood of 1915 and the resulting construction of the 2.3-mile underground tube hidden beneath the city of Erie. The sculpture uses concrete, metal, granite and glass to symbolize the path of the Mill Creek Tube, its connection to the Erie stormwater system, and the critical role that this hidden waterway contributes to the health of Lake Erie and, ultimately, the city’s water supply.

Read about why this location was chosen.

Site 7 Sculpture with Glass Install
Partial installation of Hidden Creek sculpture.

Artists, Collaborators and Community Members

The design was created over many hours of public meetings — including questions, discussions, listening, and organizing ideas. The public meetings, run by The Looking Glass Art Project, included Erie community members, the Erie Events team, and the Erie County Conservation District team. Using the information from these meetings, The Looking Glass Art Project provided the concepts you’ll see below. Once a concept was chosen, they created the piece and installed it on French Street, between 8th and 9th streets in Erie, Pa.

Planning and Build Phases

Artists at Table Reviewing Hidden Creeks Installation Plan

Artists reviewing the initial sculpture plan

 Uncut granite slab Top view of cut granite slab

Top view of cut granite slab

 Hidden Creeks Full Size Mock Up Wood frame to map out the size of granite slab

Wood frame to map out the size of granite slab

 Close up of a blue glass disc Plan setup for the location of specific glass discs

Plan setup for the location of specific glass discs

 Close up plan setup for the location of specific glass discs Hidden Creek Glass Discs Close Up and Different Colors

Close up of blue colored glass discs

 Attaching metal rings to the granite slab.

Attaching metal rings to the granite slab.

Installation Phase

Site 7 Ground plan spray paint dig site

Initial spray paint markings on ground for sculpture location

 Building ground support for the sculpture Lowering sculpture to slab with crane Site 7 sculpture top secured to concrete slab ladder for size reference Site 7 sculpture top secured to slab Site 7 concrete pour on the sculpture base Site 7 Protect Our Supply Stencil Ed attaching glass to metal rings Glass pieces installed in artwork Looking Glass Artists in front of sculpture

The Artists

The Looking Glass Art Project and Local Community

The designs will have been created over many hours of public meetings, with questions, discussions, listening, and organizing ideas into a unique piece of art to be enjoyed by all.

Ultimately, the final piece is created by The Looking Glass Art Project — a program designed to facilitate collaborative input by encouraging participants to tell their stories, then transform those stories into Public Art.