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Stan Herd has created earthworks around the world, but his current project will have international attention right in his own town — Lawrence.
The Algerian men's national team selected Rock Chalk Park as its base camp for the 2026 World Cup. The team will stay and practice in Lawrence throughout its time in the tournament.
Herd is using natural mediums like the bare ground, grass, wood mulch, and sand to create an Algerian flag near the Lied Center of Kansas.
“I couldn’t be in a better spot than to bring the team, my team and the team Lawrence into the mix here to welcome our friends from Algeria," Herd said.
Herd and his fellow artists helped color in the flag on Thursday.
“Stan does work that goes right back into nature," said Oliver Hall, who is helping Herd with the earthwork. "He doesn’t destroy nature. Nature is actually like his co-artist, so they work together really well, and they have for years.”
As the artists worked, Ruth DeWitt with Explore Lawrence pulled up to the project in the city's new mobile visitor center, which debuted to the community on Tuesday and greeted visitors throughout the World Cup events in Lawrence.
“We just have everything coming together to greet visitors, to greet the Algerian team," DeWitt said.
Herd imagines members of the community dressed in Algerian-flag colors, standing atop his earthwork accordingly, and waving back and forth to depict a flowing flag as a welcome for team Algeria.
“It’s really kind of a stage that we’re building for a multiplicity of activities, ideally," he said of his earthwork.
Herd sees the University of Kansas and its international students as a cultural hub in Lawrence.
“We are an international community, and we always have been," he said. "We rise to the occasion.”
Herd's living artwork will evolve over the next couple of weeks until team Algeria arrives in Lawrence.
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