Explore: Whimsical willow castle creates magic in Cary park
A new 'stick sculpture' in a Cary park is providing the perfect new place to play and explore. Half public art, half magical fortress, the enormous piece of swirling caverns and doorways is a wonderland created by weaving together sticks, willow and other natural materials.
The 'colossal woven structure' provides plenty of windows, doorways and tunnels for exploring. Wide-eyed children weave in and out of the twirling hallways, as if in a castle of their very own.
Artist Patrick Dougherty, also known as the 'Stick Wizard,' crafts these woven-willow wonderlands all over the world. His website features whimsical castles, magical mazes and even twirling towers from France to Scotland. One maze even sits outside a real-life castle.
His art brings a special magic to each community it touches.
Volunteers get to help create the communal artwork with their own hands. In Cary, many people can take pride in having helped build the sculpture.
Dougherty's use of willow, sticks and other pieces of nature allows his art to remain sustainable and environmentally-friendly. However, along with that comes the reality that his whimsical art is never permanent. Like a true piece of magic, it appears in a community then vanishes, leaving nothing but smiles and memories.
If you'd like to explore the whimsical willow castle for yourself, you can find it at Carpenter Park in Cary, located at 4420 Louis Stephens Dr, Cary, NC 27519.
