Woven Works Park

Description

The theme of Innovation inspired this work by Minneapolis based artist, Randy Walker. Innovation commemorates the early innovative businesses that helped Greensboro grow into the city it is today and the textile industry was key to that. Randy was able to visit the Historic White Oak Plant at Cone Mills before it closed and used ideas and components from that to inform this work. Revolution Cone sits in the center of the work, and is accessed by following a spiral path winding its way through the steel cables rising high above; at its base, a revolving carousel bench offers an experience to imagine being inside a spool of thread.

Surrounding this main piece are a variety of elements of play designed for children and adults of all abilities to enjoy. Jungle Jeans is inspired by the twill pattern of blue denim, wherein one side of the fabric appears blue and the reverse side appears white; this piece extends that idea into three dimensions. Selvedge Sandbox references the fluid, meditative movement of yard through looms as fabric is made, while selvedge refers to the edge of woven fabric during manufacture which prevents it from unraveling.

Over, Under & Through was modeled after the right angle interlacing of yarn in the process of weaving, by placing pathways, landscape beds and concrete cylinders to mimic an over/under twill pattern. Sit and Spin honors the 1960 Woolworth sit-in that was pivotal to both the civil rights movement and United States history, as an innovative way to create change; the piece includes spinning stools and counter-like tables arranged along intersecting paths, in hopes of generating conversation.

Hops Garden highlights similarities in the path that yarn takes while spinning and weaving through a textile mill, and the fiber-like qualities of a hops trellis, while also encouraging visitors to follow a playful passage of their own. The Spool Donor Wall recognizes the contributions of major donors to the Downtown Greenway, and was inspired by hundreds of slowly turning spools found within nearby White Oak Mill. Our Bird, Bee & Butterfly Pollinator Garden surrounds Muddy Creek and provides special pollinator-friendly habitat to attract a variety of important species for a healthy environment.