For years, visitors of Boardman Arts Park have watched the space evolve from an empty field into one of Delaware’s most distinctive community gathering places.
Now, its most ambitious addition yet is beginning to rise.
The Whimsy Stage Canopy, a massive steel and resin sculpture designed by central Ohio artist Tony Ball, is currently being installed above the park’s performance stage. The project represents years of planning, thousands of hours of fabrication and a shared belief that public spaces should be works of art themselves.
“This has been six years in the making,” said Executive Director of Boardman Arts Park Roxanne Amidon. “It’s hard to explain a vision and a strategy, you’ve got to see it to believe it. This is really the culmination of all that ideation coming together.”
For Ball, bringing that vision to life became the largest undertaking of his nearly three-decade career.
While park visitors will see a colorful, whimsical canopy floating above the stage, Ball sees years of problem-solving hidden inside every curve.
The project required more than a year of design work before fabrication even began. Engineers had to ensure the structure could withstand winds exceeding 100 miles per hour. Ball and his collaborators refined dozens of design concepts before settling on the final pattern, balancing artistic beauty with structural integrity.
“I think it is by far the most difficult, consuming project I’ve ever done,” Ball said. “It has probably been the most challenging thing I’ve ever embarked on.”
Once construction began, the work became a full-time commitment.
The canopy features 28 custom panels filled with colorful resin elements and iridescent stars that shift color depending on where visitors stand and how sunlight passes through them. Nearly 10,000 rivets hold those pieces together, creating an installation unlike anything Ball has built before.
“I didn’t take the easy way out,” Ball said. “I’m definitely making something that’s never, ever been made.”
That willingness to push artistic boundaries is exactly what attracted Boardman Arts Park to Ball in the first place.
Instead of simply covering performers from the weather, the canopy itself becomes part of the experience. Visitors will notice changing colors, sculptural forms, and intricate details whether they’re attending a concert, walking through the park, or simply stopping to admire the craftsmanship.
Ball hopes visitors appreciate not only the finished piece, but the countless decisions that made it possible. For him, seeing the canopy installed will mark the end of a journey that consumed more than two years of his life.
“I would like to say it’s 10% creativity and 90% determination to make it happen,” he said. “I feel like it’s going to look very, very classy.”
The Whimsy Stage Canopy was made possible through significant support from the State of Ohio, along with community donors and local leaders including Ohio Senator Brenner, Ohio Representative Lorenz, County Commissioner Benton, City Manager Homan, City Parks & Recreation, Central Ohio Symphony, Convention & Visitor Bureau, Delaware Area Chamber of Commerce, Ohio Wesleyan University, and Arena Fair Theater who championed the project from the beginning. Grants from the County Commissioners, Williams St Methodist Church, VFW Post, and Creative Foundation were also given relative to the project. Additional community fundraising helped support enhancements throughout the Whimsy Venue, including landscaping, park improvements, and future artistic elements.
As the final pieces are installed, Amidon hopes residents see more than a new stage. She hopes they see what can happen when a community believes in creating something extraordinary together.
“We want it to be beautiful, iconic, and meaningful to the city of Delaware,” Amidon said. “We’re here to make a difference for our community, and we think the things we’re putting into the park add value to this space.”
Installation of the Whimsy Stage Canopy is currently underway. Visitors of the park will be able to see the project in its full glory very soon. To learn more about the project, or the Boardman Arts Park as a whole, visit their website.
