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WILDLIFE AROUND THE CREEK: DOMINO THE PIG

Over the years, a variety of animals have been observed in Hancock Creek along Arroyo Seco, among them a spotted wild pig named Domino.

On the morning of May 17, 2003, as volunteers were setting up the first Violet Crown Festival in Brentwood Park, a baby pig escaped from the petting zoo, ran diagonally across the park, and quickly disappeared into the neighborhood.

Over the next six months, he was sighted more than once down in Hancock Creek. The pig later was adopted by a woman who once lived in a house on the southwest corner of Madison and Woodrow avenues, at the north end of Arroyo Seco (see the photo of the two of them taken in her yard, above). She named the pig Domino. Soon after, Domino was returned to his home in the country, but his spirited antics became legendary in Brentwood and Crestview. (Read Shayla Fleshman’s Domino story here.)

Jean Graham created a Domino the Pig mosaic for the Wall of Welcome, left. It includes the original crown design Jean created in 2003 for the Violet Crown Festival and the image of Domino from Brentwood Elementary art teacher Linda Anderson’s original artwork created in 2004. And, Jean created a large Domino puppet who led the Procession of the Violet Crowns at two First Night Austin events on New Year’s Eve 2005 and 2009. He also has appeared at the Violet Crown Festival and other events since 2006.

Domino and violet crowns, now icons of the Brentwood and Crestview neighborhoods, also were featured together in an exhibit Jean and I created for the Community Tent at the 2006 Violet Crown Festival, below. Jean displayed some of the violet crowns she and other neighbors created and wore in the First Night procession, and the Domino puppet greeted visitors just outside the tent. I created “What is a Violet Crown?” (read the text here) and “Who is Domino the Pig?” displays.

The exhibit also featured photographs of neighbors in their unique, handmade crowns; colorful Domino and violet crown artwork by Brentwood Elementary School students; and hand-lettered signs by Crestview neighbor David Butler. Rob and I also screened a short film we made about the New Year’s Eve 2005 procession. You can view the film, First Night W/ Domino & Friends, here. You can read about Domino and The Little Red Hen here.