← Back to Explore
Reflection is a 2012 public artwork by Lawrence Argent in Nashville's Shelby Park, a mockingbird that appears to be melting. It was installed with help from Metro Arts and named among the top 50 public art projects of 2012 by Americans for the Arts' Public Art Network.
Private to your Passport.
PLAN YOUR VISIT
No recommended arrival yet
We have not checked a recommended place to arrive or stop here yet.
This takes you to the Big Thing itself. If stopping, choose a safe and legal place nearby.
© Stadia Maps © OpenMapTiles © OpenStreetMap contributors
Reflection (Big Dripping Bird)
This pin marks the Big Thing itself. If stopping, choose a safe and legal place nearby.
Approximate location · 36.169° N, 86.732° W
FIELD GUIDE
The story
Shelby Park, on the Cumberland River two miles from downtown Nashville, holds an unusual resident: a shiny bird that appears to be melting. Lawrence Argent's Reflection was installed in the autumn of 2012, according to Fox 17, and the Nashville Scene wrote in 2025 that it landed with help from Metro Arts.
The Scene calls it a mockingbird. Fox 17 reported in 2019 that Metro Public Art describes the piece as exploring "Shelby Park's past, present and future through playful metaphors of reflection." The park itself has a long history: the land was once home to an amusement park run by a development company that went bankrupt in 1903, and Metro Parks opened it to the public on 4 July 1912, according to the city.
Add a photo
PRACTICAL
Plan your stop
WHAT TO EXPECT
A mockingbird sculpture inside Shelby Park, part of Metro Nashville's public art collection. Metro Parks lists the park as having a lake, playgrounds, ball fields and river views.
ACCESS
In Shelby Park, a public Metro Parks park two miles from downtown Nashville along the Cumberland River.
COMMUNITY
Visitor Log
WHAT'S NEXT
Find another Big Thing nearby
TRANSPARENCY
Sources & research
Something not right?
If this Big Thing has changed, moved or gone, telling us keeps the guide honest for the next traveller.