Awesome Public Art
This will likely become a series as I stumble across neat expressions of art. I enjoy public art because it disrupts a landscape or a place, it catches your eye and changes how you think of or look at a place or a moment in time. In many cases, I think it also positively augments how we travel through the world, be it something we can see from the freeway at 70mph, an intriguing discovery on a side street, or a surprise in the wilds on an easy hike.
Roanoke, Virginia is an old railroad town. On the surface the place looks as one expects for a city nestled into the foothills of Appalachia. The city and suburbs wind between ancient rounded hills and mountains, most of the buildings are low-rise and there is a clear network of limited access roads. One of the things that sets Roanoke apart is that it is apparently the only city to have a mountain entirely within city limits and atop that mountain is this, the Mill Mountain Star (often referred to as the Roanoke Star). The Mill Mountain Star is the largest illuminated man-made free-standing star.
There are multiple sets of tubes on the star and it can be lit in different combinations of red, white, and blue. Of particular interest to this blog, there was a period when the star would be illuminated in red rather than white to indicate a traffic fatality. In front of the star is an overlook open to the public that grants an impressive view of downtown Roanoke. From this angle, the city does look like some place special and unique. The legacy of the star is pretty impressive for something that was intended originally as a marketing ploy during the 1949 holiday shopping season.
Old Man in the Garden
The West Virginia Botanic Garden is a hidden gem in the greater Morgantown area. It took several years to find out that it exists. The location of the gardens around the former Tibbs Run Reservoir is secluded among some smaller housing developments. During the winter months parking is at the top of a hill that does not look like much, but as you ascend the grounds begin to unfold before your eyes. At the entrance to the walking and hiking trails that tour guests through the grounds is this gentleman, carved into a tree. The kind face of the wise old man is a pleasant welcome to a place of peace and natural wonder.
Toil
Many universities feature public art installations. I found this one, aptly titled Toil, at East Tennessee State University to be particular interesting. I can certainly relate to the person in this piece, chained to books of knowledge. Despite spending some time with the sculpture and looking at the photo several times, I’m not sure if I like it or if I simply understand the feeling. Indeed, this is part of what makes this piece so wonderful.
If you have discovered thought provoking or paradigm shifting public art, I’d love to hear about it and potentially discuss it in a future entry!