Bellevue Bench Mark

Harpeth Knoll Park, Nashville, TN

 

Bellevue Bench Mark, 2013, 19"x180"x88", Polychrome Concrete with Cobalt Blue Glass Aggregate, Harpeth Knoll Park, Nashville, TN

Fabrication by Gate Precast of Ashland City, TN

In 2010 torrential rains led to widespread flooding in the Nashville, Tennessee area. While the flooding and loss of life was tragic, it also brought out the best in the residents and those who came to help. To commemorate the flood and the community response, The Metro Nashville Arts Commission engaged artists to create artworks in six of the hardest hit neighborhoods of Nashville.

This project allowed me to leverage my experience as Director of Programs with CERF+, a national nonprofit that is working to build a better emergency safety net for artists in the U.S.  A great deal of the project involved meeting with members of the community and listening to their stories.

The design of Bellevue Bench Mark draws on flood maps of the Bellevue community. The top of the sculptural bench depicts the area inundated by the floods. The blue line in the top traces the normal path of the Harpeth River through the neighborhoods, and creates the shape of the serpentine base.

It is hoped that this piece will create a healing place to recall and recount the many stories of loss and recovery, and of courage and compassion.