Celebration and Opening of the Morehead Park Section of the Downtown Greenway!
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The ribbon cutting for Morehead Park (from Lee Street north to Spring Garden Street along the East side of Freeman Mill Road) of the Downtown Greenway will be held Sunday, May 6 from 2:00–5:00 pm. Numerous features within this ¼-mile section of the Downtown Greenway, known as Morehead Linear Park, will be dedicated and unveiled.
A North Carolina Railroad trestle that has been abandoned since the mid-1970s is now transformed into a gallery of gates by sculptor Jim Gallucci, with interactive lighting effects designed by Scott Richardson of Light Defines Form. Funded in part by a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts through their Mayor’s Institute on City Design’s 25th Anniversary Initiative, we are thrilled that Rocco Landesman, Chairman of the NEA, will be in attendance to help celebrate this unveiling.
The first of four cornerstone sculptures that mark major intersections along the Downtown Greenway will be installed at the intersection of West Lee Street and Freeman Mill Road. The Gateway of the Open Book by artist Brower Hatcher of Providence, RI, represents the theme of Motion and will sit 22’ tall and 32’ wide. The steel matrix set on six columns is embedded with objects created by Greensboro artist Frank Russell and students from the Warnersville neighborhood, including those from neighboring Jones Elementary School and Smith High School. Surrounding the cornerstone is the Pat Sullivan Education Garden, which honors the legacy of UNCG’s former Chancellor and highlights the importance of higher education in the City’s history.
The second of 12 artist benches representing neighborhood themes will also be recognized. This seating arrangement by Ben Kastner and Toby Keeton of Wilmington, NC, consists of a concrete and iron bench and a “Tobacco” chair, both echoing the style of furnishings in the nearby Blandwood mansion, home of Governor John Motley Morehead.
Finally, a trailhead parking area at Spring Garden Street will be embellished with a significant mural project designed and executed by Primary Flight, the nationally recognized artist collaborative based in Miami, FL. The community will have an opportunity to watch the artists at work as they paint during a 3-week residency at elsewhere and will be invited to join the painting process as well.
An exciting afternoon will unfold with walking tours of the entire site, food vendors, entertainment by Laurelyn Dossett and her band, as well as activities for both kids and adults.
Click here to see the full invitation! The event is FREE and open to the public!