Yippee Ki Yay is the name of the new outdoor art installation in the north end of Pease Park (near 24th Street). Created by artist Patrick Dougherty, these unique structures are part of his ongoing Stickwork project. The Austin installation was sponsored by the non-profit Pease Park Conservancy.

Yippee Ki Yay consists of four interlocking huts made of willow, elm, and ash sticks from nearby Stonewall, Texas. Each hut is about 15 feet high.

Dougherty has built over 250 Stickwork creations throughout the world. I was impressed with our Austin version until I looked at his website afterwards. Ours is cool—and a little weird—but some of his other installations are truly stunning.

Lots of Austinites were out enjoying the sunny, warm weather during my Sunday afternoon visit. Children played hide-and-go-seek in the passageways. Like me, many adults were taking photographs.

Right after I took this photo, this little guy’s mother scolded him for climbing up the sticks. I can see how that would be tempting. The installation was just completed at the end of January, and is not officially “open” to the public until this weekend.

Yippee Ki Yay is expected to last two years, so there’s plenty of time to visit Pease Park. As the structures break down, the sticks will be chopped up and used for mulch around the park.

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