Willy Street Park 40th Anniversary Celebration

Art in the cafe...

Laurel Statz


"The Spectator"


December 2025



Laurel Statz is a painter and Madison area native. Her work, while figurative, is influenced by abstraction and minimalism. The paintings often have a quick and instinctual nature, capturing just what’s needed. While she often times herself to eliminate extra details and over-precision, she has ventured into more detailed works as well. Laurel does not attach narrative to her pieces. Rather, she thinks of them like a journaling process for her scatter-brained psyche. The figures in the pieces are meant to be processing tools for the artist and the viewer. She hopes that seeing these figures helps the...
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Saturday, July 20, 2024
2:00 pm

The Willy Street Park Society invites you to celebrate its 40th Anniversary of Incorporation

Neighbors prevented a car-oriented, drive-in chain restaurant from opening on Williamson Street nearly a half-century ago. They built in its place a park.

2:00 pm to 4:00 pm
1002 Williamson Street

Willy Street Park Society will celebrate the 40th year of its incorporation as a non-profit.

Truly Remarkable Loon, briefly stepping out of retirement, will host the program:

* The Earthlings

* A Presentation of the Park's History by Founding Members

* The Story Behind the Iconic Dragon Bench

* Dragon Dancers

* Zhong Yi Kung Fu Association

* The Forward! Marching Band

The event will feature a panel of founding members sharing their experiences during the Park's early years.

Renowned artist Sharon Kilfoy and her daughter Shadayra Kilfoy-Flores will speak about the concrete bench art installation in the form of a dragon that dominates the northwest corner of
the park.

Nelson Ferreira, Sifu for the Zhong Yi Kung Fu Association and owner of the Shao Lin Kung Fu studio, along with his troop of 15 dancers and drummers will don the 65 foot long Dragon to perform a ceremonial dance in honor of the occasion. He says their Dragon came to life in a traditional ceremony, called “Hoi Gwong” (also known as “Eye Dotting”) in 2012 and that this will be its first official public appearance since then.

Mother Fool's Coffeehouse will offer a selection of teas and Sassy Scoop ice cream will sweeten the occasion.

Please bring your chairs

(Rain date July 21st)