Lift Ev’ry Voice and Sing Park memorialize two native sons of the two Jacksonville, LaVilla neighborhood brothers, James Weldon Johnson and J. Rosamond Johnson. The Johnson brothers wrote a traditional hymnal song, “Lift Ev’ry Voice and Sing,” that has become known as the modern-day Black National Anthem, a symbol of African American culture, history, and strength. Celebrating the brother’s achievements, Lift Ev’ry Voice and Sing Park has been designed as a community gathering place for events as well as an appreciation for the neighborhood’s rich heritage as an African American cultural center. Featuring a lifted lawn for seating, an illuminated Poet’s Walk, a shotgun house, and a stage, as well as a small garden with sculptures of the brothers, the exterior sculptural fountain serving as the park’s signage, uplifted with a cloud of fog created by Koolfog.

Park Specifications

The Emerald Trail & Lee Street:
Along the park’s eastern edge is the Emerald Trail, an urban scale, 30-mile bicycle/pedestrian trail, and linear park system. The trail directly connects to the historic train station, an important feature in the cultural landscape of La Villa and all other Southern cities to African Americans.

Gardens:
The landscape design includes gardens inspired by a series of “rooms” representing the places people frequent for solitude, daily life, and gatherings. The garden features a bronze sculpture of the two brothers, “Getting it Done” by Brian Owens. The sculpture shows a sense of movement, telling the story of the hymn’s creation that speaks of such faith and freedom.

“The Megaphone”: Shotgun House and Stage:
A restored, historic La Villa shotgun home with a side stage that reflects the idea of entertaining on a porch has been created as a multi-use platform for performances and concerts. The shotgun house is a tribute to 19th-century African American architectural expression manifest as a charming, single-story dwelling marked by a smaller interior square living space. These homes were traditionally placed close together, which fostered a sense of community, and while they did not have side windows, they were painted with bright colors and welcomed with a warm porch-life.

Lifted Lawn:
The lifted lawn faces the stage and shotgun house. This grassy area is the perfect place to look over the park and interact with the “Megaphone.”

Lift Ev’ry Voice Plaza: Sculpture & Terrace:
Acting as the gateway on the North of the Park, the Plaza is comprised of a palm grid, with a backdrop of a large sculpture spelling out the words “Lift Evry Voice and Sing”. This sculpture, made of tabby concrete – a shell-based, historic building material often made by enslaved people – literally supports the Lifted Lawn. Emanating from the base of the letters is a mist fountain – creating an ethereal fog from which the sculpture emerges.

Photo from: https://www.facebook.com/levsparkjax/photos

Koolfog Contribution: Water Feature Fog Effects

Koolfog collaborated with an amazing team of designers and architects to produce an innovative and memorable sculptural fog fountain feature that artfully and respectfully honors the park’s significance and moniker. Koolfog was responsible for delivering the technology behind the sculpture’s fog effects. The introduction of fog is a critical atmospheric element that contributes to the visual centerpiece while giving rise to the “Lift Ev’ry Voice and Sing” sculptural lettering.

The creative intent was to have fog spill out underneath the letters, drifting and flowing out from the sculpture to interact with guests and provide an important cooling aspect to the outdoor experience.

A trench situated behind the sculpture where fog manifolds were placed.

Koolfog Technical Details

To achieve the intended fog effects, Koolfog’s team worked with the designer Fluidity and the installing contractor Freeport Fountains to deliver a solution that is both functional and aesthetic. At the base of the sculptural structure, over 133 feet of linear fog line was placed within a trench to spill upwards towards the park’s letters. Main distribution lines are placed at three points to ensure no significant pressure loss and to maintain a consistent visual fog effect throughout the sculpture.

Koolfog’s Atacama A10.0VFD high-pressure pump, designed for high-volume fog applications, drives the feature. Housed approximately 100 feet away from the fog sculpture, it can provide the client with total control over fog output based on time of day, weather considerations, and/or seasonality.

“The design and installation processes were relatively seamless from our perspective,” says Bryan Roe, President and lead fog designer at Koolfog. “Fluidity is a world-class team dedicated to unique water feature design. Their vision was clear, and we could take the design and bring it to life by applying Koolfog technologies. During implementation, the Freeport Fountains team was super easy to work with. They were professional, knew what they were doing, and we had very little to cover when the systems arrived on site. Overall, a smooth process from start to finish.”

Photo courtesy of Freeport Fountains

Fountain Designer: fluidity-design.com
Landscape Architects/Designer: hooddesignstudio.com
Fog Fountain Installer: freeportfountains.com
Fog Technology: koolfog.com

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Michelle Roe

From ‘A’ for movie star Ashley Judd to ‘Z’ for fashion designer Zang Toi, Michelle Arzino Roe has covered entertainment, fashion, food, and travel with her written words having graced the pages of Palm Springs Life Magazine, Desert Publication’s 90 Days of Summer, Empire Polo Lifestyle Magazine, the book Encountering Women, as well as various California media outlets. Her articles for Koolfog focus on lifestyle benefitsof Koolfog mist and fog systems as well as the impact this technology has on various industries and applications.