GOOSE LAKE, Iowa — Art can be whatever you make of it. From drawing a picture to carving wood, it can take many forms. For one man in Goose Lake, Iowa, he is using an unlikely medium to create literal football-field-sized masterpieces.
News 8’s Kory Kuffler spoke with Shaun Eberhart, the groundskeeping director for the Northeast Community School District who is turning grassy fields into works of art.
“The first time I ever watched a baseball game, the stripes stuck out to me,” Eberhart said. “I loved mowing grass. I loved the designs that you can put in grass. Combine the two and here I am!"
A 2009 Northeast graduate, Eberhart didn't plan on coming back to his alma mater. However, he found his way back to his field of dreams.
Eberhart spends over 25 hours a week meticulously mowing and positioning the grass so those in the stands can see works of art.
"Shaun does a really good job," one Northeast student said. "He does a good job with all the fields," another added.
The groundskeeper has done numerous designs on the school district's football field, from basic stripes and diagonals to a more elaborate American flag. These designs have given Eberhart and Northeast plenty of notoriety.
"Whether it's our parents of our players, community members that come in support, or even our opponents, they speak highly of the product," Troy Hansen, Northeast's athletic director, said.
Dubbed the "Sod Father," Eberhart's artistic mowings do not go unnoticed.
"The motto I live by is we try to make campus better today than it was yesterday, and hopefully better tomorrow than it is today," Eberhart said.
Watch more news, weather and sports on News 8's YouTube channel