Gateway of the Open Book

Description

The theme of Motion informed this work and considers the intersection of highways and railroads that encouraged Greensboro’s early growth, as well as the forward movement of people’s minds with the seven colleges and universities located here. Brower Hatcher’s Rhode Island based Mid-Ocean Studios designed and fabricated the framework, which resembles a book laid open on its spine. Hatcher collaborated with local artist, Frank Russell, who worked with children from the nearby Warnersville neighborhood and created small sculptures embedded within the framework. The Warnersville kids drew charcoal drawings of things they thought of with the theme of Motion and Frank created the sculptures from those drawings using reclaimed materials. Some of these embedded sculptures include birds, clouds, musical notes and instruments, fish, and the sun and moon. This piece includes lighting that makes it particularly dramatic at night.