Deedee Morrison Sculpture
Deedee Morrison is a public artist working at the forefront of transforming urban landscapes into dynamic and memorable public spaces. With public art, our communities have the ability to transcend language, impact emotion, conceptual thought, and contribute to an impactful and informed public lands
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Deedee Morrison Sculpture
Tech Innovation Park - Birmingham, AL

Laser Cut Aluminum with Integrated LED Lighting

32’W x 8’W x 6’D

2021

Birmingham sits astride a rare mineral bounty in the Jones Valley, one of few places in the world harboring all three ingredients needed to make iron and steel: coal, limestone/dolomite, and iron ore. This sculpture recreates the geological map of the Jones Valley, displaying the mineralogical symbols of the valley in laser cut detail that light both sides of the LED light tower.

The availability of seemingly limitless mineral resources was the key to the success of the Birmingham District, an area defined by geologic deposits that span five counties (Jefferson, Shelby, Tuscaloosa, Walker and Bibb).

This unique geological arrangement resulted in the lowest raw-material assembly costs in the United States and allowed the district to grow rapidly and gave birth to Birmingham.

Technological innovations were the most important feature of the transition from agricultural to industrial societies. The essential characteristic of this achievement for the steel industry was that changing the fuel of the iron and steel industry from charcoal to coal enormously increased the production of these metals - found in abundance around Birmingham. Innovation is still the key ingredient for communities all across the United States in creating economic opportunities for growth in the future. Grand River Technology Park is a regional hub for research and development, tourism and light manufacturing, adding more than 1,200 jobs and having an economic impact of about $85 million. Technology fosters innovation, creates jobs, and boosts long-term economic prosperity. Grand River places an emphasis on workforce development, creating a pipeline for students to find the quality, high-paying jobs of the future.

Innovation is crucial for long-term economic development and prosperity. With the Grand River Tech Park, US Steel is building on the legacy of Birmingham’s steel history and committed to realizing the future of Birmingham through technological innovations and collaboration.

Confluence

Laser Cut Stainless Steel with LED Lighting

17’H x 5’D

Northwestern State University - Natchitoches, LA

2021

With the installation of the Confluence sculpture, Northwestern University acknowledges the rich history and educational legacies that have been passed down generationally since the school was established in 1884 by the founders of the State Normal College.

The sculpture's shape was Inspired by the silhouette of the pen quill with its humble origins dating back to ancient civilizations, and holds a special place in the history of writing and technology. This simple instrument, made from the feather of a bird, played a pivotal role in shaping the way humans communicated for centuries. It was the precursor to modern writing tools and, by extension, modern technology. The development of the pen quill led to innovations in ink and paper, paving the way for the printing press, typewriters, and eventually, computers and smartphones. The evolution of writing technology, from the pen quill to today's digital devices, highlights the interconnectedness of historical and technological progress, showcasing how even the most basic tools can lead to transformative advancements in human communication and innovation.

The basket weave pattern inspired by the pottery of Caddo Indians that once inhabited the area. Within the pattern are laser cutouts that depict the leaves of a pawpaw tree and the zebra swallowtail butterfly, whose caterpillars feed exclusively on pawpaw leaves in a co-evolutionary ecosystem. Pawpaw is a native fruit bearing tree, from which the Natchitoches Tribe of Louisiana derives its name, translated from the Caddo language as “place of the pawpaw''.

Just as in the Southern quilting traditions, these cultural legacies are maintained by women who continue to pass on the tradition mother-to-daughter, one generation to the next. The conical shape of the form reflects the tip of a pen quill and its connection to the importance of the written word in documenting our shared history.

Commissioned through the Percent for the Arts Program by the Office of Cultural Development- Division of the Arts

Department of Culture, Recreation, and Tourism

State of Louisiana, 2021

In loving memory of Anne Dixon - Belcher, LA (Class of 1924)

(Deedee Morrison’s Grandmother).

One Columbia - Columbia, SC

Stainless Steel Pipe with LED Lighting

17’H 5’D

2021

With a relatively small public art budget the City of Women delivered on a big idea; calling forth a form that could hold the weight of renewed faith; activating public space in a way that transcends speech, re-defines old narratives, and restores hope. With simplicity, beauty, and a timeless, divine form, we erect the scaffolding to celebrate their lives of purpose and the dignity of their work.

History is an exercise in crafting narratives that give voice to the past to engage with the present.

With our institutions and monuments, the original circle drawn over 230 years ago collectively facilitated the exclusion of the majority of us. Those decisions continue to affect the experience of life for many of us in America today. Many of our greatest thinkers, creators, activists, educators were deemed outside of a rigid code of acceptability and effectively deemed outside America’s original circle.

How we choose to honor and remember the past, will always direct the pathway into our future.

The Architecture of Strength sets a new tone; to spark curiosity and awareness of our collective history, simultaneously encouraging bold acts of belonging and inclusion of the underrepresented, marginalized, and segregated members of our society.

We are creating a new circle with a fixed point - a metaphorical luminous point. This is the moment too disembark for strength of us. She is to honor the original 12 women of Columbia, but she provides inclusion for all. From our fixed luminous point, we incorporate a broader, more encompassing view of our history and move into a new dimension of thought. One of wholeness and unity and fostering a broader expression of justice and equality.

The Architecture of Strength gracefully stands; 17 feet tall, nestled inside a new circle. What were once many pieces of stainless steel pipe in varying sizes, now welding back together. Her strength is created from the sum of parts. As I walked around her this morning, I reflected on the many and the nameless who have come before us and shown the way before with strength and conviction. I have deep gratitude to the City of Women and Columbia to have been a part of this public art journey with you.

Common Thread

Laser Cut Stainless Steel, Cast Concrete, Cast Aluminum, Wood, LED Lighting, Interactive Motion, and Sound

Camperdown Plaza - Greenville, SC

2021

Greenville’s rich textile history is the inspiration for Common Thread, the multimedia public art installation for Camperdown Plaza. Reflecting iconic shapes, designs, and patterns from the textile industry, the art is dynamic and playful with sound, light, and color. Incorporating wood, cement, and steel with programmed led lighting and sound, the sculptures weave the story of the legacy and importance of the textile industry throughout the plaza. By reimagining and oversizing the tools and equipment vital to the operation of Greenville’s textile mills, Common Thread encourages a relationship between the audience and their inter-connected natural environment. Common Thread celebrates shared history, honoring the invaluable contributions made by honoring the textile workers and their families to Greenville’s economic, industrial, and cultural development.

Common Thread celebrates the heritage and history of the founders of modern-day Greenville. Technological innovation, natural resources, and labor paved the way for the “Textile Crescent” and remain the key ingredients for sustaining communities all across America today.

Greenville’s textile industry created a dynamic mix of people. Since the 1800s, people have been moving into Greenville from all over the world; originally from Scotland, Ireland, and England. Later from Germany, Japan, Switzerland, Italy, Greece, China, Lebanon, the Philippines, Mexico, and Central and South America. It is how these resources are allocated that determines the outcome of the overall health, wellness, and economic viability of our community’s long-term. These textile settlers brought with them the seeds of cultural and economic diversity and growth. Over the last 150 years Greenville’s diversity has enabled the community to be stronger together; by bringing new language and skills, new ways of thinking, innovative ideas, and creative solutions for continuous future growth – and, of course – great food!

Greenville, South Carolina has a rich history in the textile industry dating back to the late 1800s. Referred to as the "Catalyst of the Industrial Revolution," textile manufacturing helped to transform South Carolina’s upstate and became central to the economic development of the city. Greenville's "textile crescent” included 19 textile mills attracting more than 40,000 workers to weaving, spinning, and doffing jobs (by 1960, with one-third of area residents employed in the industry). The textile plants, their jobs, and machines, the surrounding community of homes, churches, schools, and athletic facilities were a way of life for the mill workers and their families for generations. With the expansion of textile mills and railroads and the daily migration of newcomers, Greenville laid the foundation for the industrial and commercial center it became.

Three distinct groupings of public art weave Greenville’s textile story throughout the plaza sharing our rich history in light, sound, and interactivity. Each art component has a powerful visual presence during the day with compelling scales, distinct art patterns, and vibrant polished or painted finishes. At night, the space is activated with pattern and color encouraging the public to explore the exterior, as well as meander through the courtyard space as light visually converges and dynamically filters the surrounding place with subtly shifting colors and patterns in light.

Textile Totems -

Safety Pin, Needle, and Wooden Bobbin

17’H x 24” D - Laser Cut Stainless Steel, Wood with Programmed LED Lighting

A seventeen-foot-tall stainless steel needle, safety pin, and wooden bobbin anchor the center courtyard of the Camperdown Plaza. Historic bobbin shapes were re-created using a metal spinning process which allows organic shapes to be “spun” out of rigid metal material. The facades of the bobbins were then laser cut with a textile pattern that lights up from the interior at night. The individual bobbin shapes “sleeve” the needle, safety pin, and bobbin to create the focal point of the plaza. Lights are programmed for seasonal changes.

Bobbins and the machinery on which they ran on were some of the greatest inventions of the Victorian Era. Developed as a way to manage heaps of thread, bobbins were instrumental in textile manufacturing during the Industrial Revolution. A bobbin revolves on a driven spindle to collect the developing thread. Different stages required varying bobbins: hence bobbins became associated with their intended process: spinning bobbins, twisting bobbins, drawing bobbins, roving bobbins, finishing bobbins, etc.

Interactive Warp Beam Drums -

Repurposed Historic Textile Warp Beams

Five - 32” H x 36” D - Acrylic, LED Lighting, Motion Activated Sound

Children of all ages can interact with the warp beam playscape by triggering the motion and touch sensors. The lights change color in response to visitors' presence and movements triggering a network of interactive servers that process the live input data. LED lights change color, intensity, and movement.

A warp beam is a cylindrical bar around which threads are wound before weaving begins and holds them in position during the weaving process. Typically cast in aluminum, they come in a variety of shapes and sizes each with a distinct pattern on the beam head that indicates the weight of the fabric and the purpose of the beam.

Weaving is the process of interlacing vertical and horizontal threads at right angles to create a textile. A weaver uses a loom to interlace two kinds of threads, called the warp and the weft. Warp threads are vertical threads that run the length of the textile. They're attached to the loom during the weaving process. The weft threads run horizontally and pass through the warp threads to form the weave pattern.

Shuttle Seating

Steel Frame and Cast Concrete Chairs Three - 10’H - Cast Concrete Cotton Bale

Three towering shuttles are installed, composed of steel frames and cast concrete. They reside as tall sentinels announcing your entrance to the plaza via the west stairway. Concrete versatility lends itself well to hard landscaping elements in structural form and blurs the distinction between function and art. Cotton was king in the south and largely responsible for the introduction of the textile mills to the region. The cast concrete cotton bale sits in front of the three cast concrete shuttle seating arrangement in the plaza.

A shuttle is a tool designed to neatly and compactly store weft yarn while weaving. Shuttles are thrown or passed back and forth through the shed, between the yarn threads of the warp to weave in the weft. Originally shuttles were passed back and forth by hand. However, John Kay invented a loom in 1733 that incorporated a flying shuttle. This shuttle could be thrown through the warp, which allowed much wider cloth to be woven much more quickly and made the development of machine looms much simpler.

Arise Now Economic Development - Janesville, WI

Rolled and Painted Pipe, Stainless Steel with Printed Glass

30’H x 30’W x 30’D Bridge Sculpture, Bridge Handrails, Bridge Deck Seating, LED Lighting and Programming

2020

“When we try to pick out anything by itself, we find it hitched to everything else in the universe”.

John Muir - Naturalist

Scope of Work:

- Pedestrian Bridge Sculpture - 30’L x 30’L x 28’H - Painted Steel Pipe, Tempered Glass with LED Lighting

- Handrail - 230 Linear Footbridge - Painted Steel and Stainless Steel with LED Lighting

- Bridge Deck Seating - 2 Granite Seating Boulders, 6 Wooden Benches and 2 Granite and Stainless Steel Tables/6Chairs

- Programed LED Lighting for undercarriage of Court St., Milwaukee St. and Heritage Bridges

The heart of the Resilience project is simply to re-engage the community with the wonder and majesty of place. Sit alongside the river and enjoy a beautiful day perched on a boulder overlooking the Town Square, or take a walk across the bridge and explore a full moon under the sculptural branches.

The pedestrian bridge and sculpture honor Janesville’s history (agriculture, industry, merchant, etc.) – without regard to its politics.

Janesville’s story begins with the creation and evolution of the place. The regional stone, left behind after the last glacial retreat, anchors the East and West entrances to the bridge. Wisconsin’s rich fertile soil and the Rock River are remnants of this retreat and ultimately what brought people into the region for millennials.

The bridge deck seating elements meander for the pedestrian like boulders being tumbled downstream – with organic shapes in wood and stainless steel. In the middle of the bridge is the unification of the East and West sides of the river. The design intent is to create a dynamic space influenced by the natural environment of Janesville in a way that connects people with the importance of their natural world in their community.

The Arise Now public art collaboration with Morrison is a striking symbol of resilience to the challenges facing many communities in America today to survive, adapt, and grow. The Resilience public art project reframes the Rock River as a treasured community asset. Formerly viewed as the backdrop to the city, Janesville’s riverfront can now be embraced as the inspiration for unity along the East and West banks, attained through openness and immensity. Anchoring Janesville's deep roots, the artist's vision, and design weave together elements of nature, history, agriculture, and industrial form in a walkable and intimate way. With the unveiling of the Resilience bridge sculpture, Janesville’s focus returns to the river and the Town Square becomes a catalyst for continued growth and renewal.

28,000 pounds of steel pipes seemingly grow out of each side of the bridge deck and are bent to form complex curvilinear surfaces that join each other in the middle. Each pipe gracefully forms an intricate pattern woven across the bridge deck and then adorned with glass leaves, encouraging people to look up. The glass leaves are laminated in varying shades of green that emphasize the organic form and an ecological connection to the place. The stainless steel and glass leaves filter and diffuse natural light - casting natural light with refracted pools of light which create shadows and shade in the center of the bridge.

As a canvas, the bridge provided the artist with a rich cultural, historical, and environmental conceptual terrain to research and derive inspiration from. The fractal design principles facilitate opportunities for exploration and discovery of our natural processes, patterns and forms. Fractals are orderly variations on a basic pattern. They are hyper-efficient in their construction. The laws that govern the creation of fractals are found throughout the natural world. From a biological perspective, arranging leaves as far apart as possible in any given space is favored as it maximizes access to resources, especially sunlight for photosynthesis.

The ecology of the bridge sculpture is to encourage a relationship between the pedestrian and their interconnected environment. This creates a beautiful cultural destination that makes the bridge a symbol of renewal and an expression of how Janesville can restore balance to the landscape downtown. Humans and nature can co-exist in productive harmony. Resilience symbolizes our ability to learn from the past and move forward - toward a more sustainable and collaborative environment.

University of Alabama Birmingham

Laser Cut and Rolled Stainless Steel LED Light Towers with Light Programming

12 - 15’H

Each tower features art patterns conceptualized by Deedee Morrison and inspired by sketches and notes from former UAB faculty, staff and students found in the UAB Archives; one features chalkboard-style mathematical equations, with the other two displaying illustrations inspired by the view through a microscope. The light towers have sequenced, program lighting that changes every few minutes.” Herfurth, Haley. “New Art Installation Pays Homage to Math, Science Education - The Reporter.” Home - The University of Alabama at Birmingham

Light Tower One & Two: The Microscope - Art Inspired by The World Seen Under the Lens

Nature has many fascinating forms, but some of the most interesting structures are too small to be visible to the naked eye. Other than under a microscope, we are unable observe the surprising beauty of microorganisms, despite them being all around us.

The microscope magnifies objects or organisms that are too small to see with the naked eye. This invention revolutionized the field of science. The microscope has had an enormous influence on the development of modern medical, forensics, and environmental science. But with the invention of the powerful atomic force microscope scientists are now able to study cells at an atomic level - bringing together a multidisciplinary group of researchers, including biologists, chemists, physicists, and engineers and opening up the next frontier of research and discovery.

Light Tower Three: The Chalkboard - Art Inspired by Collaborative Workspace

In 1800, the headmaster of the Old High School of Edinburgh, wanting to offer geography lessons to his students that required larger maps, connected several smaller slates into a single grand field. And in 1801, George Baron, a West Point mathematics teacher, also began to use a board of connected slates, the most effective way, he found, to illustrate complex formulas to a larger audience. Although the term blackboard did not appear until 1815, the use of these cobbled-together slates spread quickly; by 1809, every public school in Philadelphia was using them. Students no longer simply listened to the teacher; they had a reason to look up from their desks and participate.

The use of chalkboards in the classroom kicked off the collaborative learning movement. All communication was now communal. Students learned in groups and shared knowledge. The board became the mindshare of the classroom. This launched the chalkboard as a global collaborative space. We have witnessed the exploration of the universe from the mathematical equations and concepts that were formulated in this collaborative workspace.

As a global society, we have moved on from there, and now a network of computers link scientists, mathematicians, writers, artists, and poets together in a way that continues to expand our collaborative efforts and has inspired the next generation of innovative thinkers in groundbreaking new fields of research.

Laser Cut, Stainless & Enameled Steel with Choreographed LED Lighting

16’H x 6’W

2019

Life in Terre Haute is inextricably connected to the Wabash River. The inspiration for Our River - Our Future comes from diatoms unique to the river in Terre Haute.

The Sculpture: Our River - Our Future

The circular laser cut patterns on the Terre Haute sculpture represent microbiomes and diatoms - single cell organisms that are key indicators of the health and well-being of an environment. Diatoms that are specific to the Wabash river inspired the art patterns that are laser cut into the steel circular patterns. The overall shape of sculpture simulates the meandering of Wabash as it flows across the state of Indiana.

As with all diatoms, those in the Wabash River have a silica (or glass like) exterior casing. The circular patterns on the sculpture are vitreous enamel (porcelain enamel) imitating the silica structure of a diatom. Vitreous enamel is a material made by fusing powdered glass to a substrate through firing in an oven, usually between 1,380 and 1,560 °F. The powder melts, flows, and then hardens to a smooth, durable vitreous coating. The word comes from the Latin vitreum, meaning “glass.

During the day, sunlight shines through laser cut patterns and creates dancing shadows on the ground below, enlivening the pedestrian experience. At night the sculpture comes alive in vivid detail with choreographed LED lighting effects that simulate a river current flowing across the surface of the sculpture.

Much as these single cell organisms are the key indicators of the health and well-being of a river system, single celled microbiomes in the human body are key indicators of the health and wellness of the human body. The intricate interconnections of human microbiomes with our environment mirror the patterns of the Wabash River with its diatoms.

Jeffery Stone and his lab in ISU’s Department of Earth and Environmental Systems catalog and study the Wabash diatom community and the impact of pollutants in the watershed effects on the diatoms. The artist worked with them to select the diatoms that inspired the laser cut patterns on the sculpture. Columbian Home Products is a Terre Haute based enamel ware company that has been in business for over 148 years and worked with the artist on the enameling process for the sculpture.

Diatoms & The Wabash River

Present in every water system found on the planet, diatoms are a type of microscopic algae that use silica dissolved in the water to produce their protective skeletons. A single diatom is thinner than a human hair and yet they are the secret to the earth’s oxygen supply. Diatoms are responsible for producing all of the oxygen in one of every four breaths that you take and they absorb a tremendous amount of carbon dioxide in this process. In the right conditions, diatoms can replicate very quickly – including more than doubling their populations in a single day.

Diatoms are an important component of the food web in all aquatic systems. In rivers, diatoms make up a large part of the base of the food pyramid, converting sunlight to body mass through photosynthesis. While other algae and cyanobacteria can produce harmful, toxic, or unsightly blooms, diatoms rarely have negative or harmful effects on the environment. Diatoms usually are highly productive in river systems and provide nutrients and energy upward to larger organisms such as zooplankton, insects, and fish.

Diatom species are sensitive to the aquatic environments in which they live; species abundances can become altered based upon nutrient enrichment or deprivation, changes in pH or salinity, and exposure to sunlight. Species diversity in diatoms is mirrored by their physical diversity and lifestyle. They have a variety of shapes and sizes – some even form complex colonies shaped as ribbons, fans, zigzags, or stars.

The Wabash ecosystem has a collection of diatoms living in the river that are unique to Terre Haute, where the river runs through the city. With an understanding of how nature is structured and how it functions, we gain an appreciation and love for our environment and begin to realize the interconnectedness of everything - that healthy systems sustain healthy people and vice versa.

College of Health and Human Services - The Human Ecosystem and Microbiomes

An ecosystem is a community of living things that interact with each other. The human body is an ecosystem of microbes. Every person is a unique ecosystem of microbiomes that are key indicators of the health and well-being of the individual. Like our fingerprints, no two are the same. Each of us contains over a trillion microbes which outnumber our human cells ten to one. The microbiome is the genetic material of all microbes that live both on and inside the human body - bacteria, viruses, fungi, even protozoa.

Our unique microbiome helps digest our food, keep our brain active, and regulate our immune system by protecting against bacteria that cause disease. They are essential for human development, growth, and overall health. Many diseases such as diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, muscular dystrophy, multiple sclerosis, and fibromyalgia are associated with dysfunction in the microbiome. Disease-causing microbes can accumulate over time, changing gene activity and our metabolic processes. New research from the NIH indicates that autoimmune diseases are not genetic through the DNA, but are rather passed on by inheriting the family’s microbiome.

City of Norfolk Public Art Program - Norfolk, VA 2021

10’H x 5’W

Corten, stainless steel and resin

This is a story of the majesty and vulnerability of the Elizabeth River watershed and all coastal wetlands. Among the most productive ecosystems in the world, and once presumed dead, this watershed has taught us about the intricate connection of its flora and wildlife to our daily actions. As our knowledge grows, we celebrate the return of valuable species. We are now called upon to join the hardworking forces of this wetland to ensure generations to come may both marvel and understand its enduring worth.

The center panel is a polyurethane cast resin panel of the entire Elizabeth River watershed which is 64,000 square miles. The adjacent Corten and hand-forged stainless steel panels incorporate several of the local wetland species that are working for us on the frontlines every day.

The Elizabeth River watershed encompasses 250 square miles and includes the cities of Norfolk, Chesapeake, Portsmouth, and Virginia Beach. It is part of an extremely productive and complex ecosystem that ultimately drains into the James River. Everywhere you look there is water - and this water is the economic lifeblood of the region. The estuarine emergent wetlands or tidal marsh is the intricate coastal ecosystem between all this water and the land that you are standing on - and historically much of the land that Norfolk was built on. These tidal wetlands play a critical role in Norfolk’s natural environment and healthy ecosystems. They protect our shores from erosion, reduce the impacts of floods by storing water, absorb pollutants, and improve overall water quality. Wetlands are also among the most productive ecosystems in the world, comparable to rain forests and coral reefs in that they store carbon within their plant communities and soil instead of releasing it into the atmosphere as carbon dioxide.

The physical processes that drive the watershed ecosystem sustain the many habitats and organisms found there. Even the smallest creatures play a vital role in the overall health and production of this vast area. The entire watershed filter sediments and pollutants while supporting birds, mammals, and fish. Small fish and crabs find shelter and food among lush beds of underwater grasses. Unnoticed by the naked eye, phytoplankton and microzooplankton drift with the currents, becoming food for copepods and small fish. Clams and oysters pump water through their gills, filtering out both plankton and sediment. During the fall and winter, waterfowl by the thousands descend, feeding in wetlands and shallow waters. Bald eagles and osprey, perched high above the water, feed perch, menhaden, and other small fish to their young. The spectrum of aquatic environments, from freshwater to seawater, creates a unique ecosystem abundant with life.

Our wetlands are one of the most valued ecological resources in Virginia - but in the last 75 years an estimated 60 percent of our natural tidal wetlands have been drained or filled for agriculture, industrial facilities, roads/ports, and urban/suburban development. The cost to the health of the river has been significant - the Elizabeth River was once presumed dead as one of the most polluted rivers on the Chesapeake Bay. Slowly this has begun to change, as a result of government, business, and community environmental stewardship and partnerships. Twenty-two wetlands have been restored since 1995 and recently the area has celebrated the return of seahorses, river otters, and oysters. Everyone benefits from the healthy Chesapeake Bay.

Rising seas and localized land subsidence have led to Norfolk having the highest rate of relative sea-level rise on the East Coast. While global sea levels have risen 5–8 inches over the last century, in Norfolk, the sea level has risen over 14 inches since 1930. Each of us individually directly affects this watershed by adding waste, consuming resources, and changing the character of the land, water, and air that surround it. However, through the choices, we make every day, and a commitment to learn and understand the importance of this invaluable natural resource in our everyday lives - we can lessen our negative impacts on the Elizabeth River wetland’s health and contribute to its long-term health and wellbeing.

Jacobs Center for Innovation - San Diego Public Art

National Endowment For the Arts Grant -

San Diego, CA

Laser Cut Corten Steel with Choreographed LED Lighting

8’H x 10’D

2019

The Our Town Chollas Creek Public Art Project is a collaboration between the artist Deedee Morrison, the Jacobs Center for Neighborhood Innovation, the City of San Diego Commission for Arts and Culture with a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts to improve the environment, economy and quality of life for residents in the Chollas Creek Watershed through new approaches to community and educational development. Visualize Biodiversity asserts that health is a human right, and that social justice could not be achieved without environmental justice. Equality and fairness require that no group of people should bear a disproportionate share of the negative environmental consequences resulting from industrial or governmental policies. Whether by conscious design or institutional neglect, communities of color and areas of urban poverty face some of the worst environmental devastation in our country.

In the last 50 years Chollas Creek began to change rapidly with ever increasing loss of habitat and biodiversity. The creek lost most of its natural geographic features due to freeways and other urban development that left Chollas Creek and the surrounding neighborhoods, barely recognizable. San Diego county is most biologically rich county in the continental U.S. - and the most threatened (approximately 200 imperiled plants and animals—more than in any other county in the nation), California has lost 95 percent of its riparian habitat since pre-settlement times.

The initiative for the Chollas Creek Enhancement Program is to take Chollas Creek from a hidden and neglected waterway into a linear urban park; becoming an historic, geographic, symbolic and civic focal point that communicates the message of the park: habitat restoration, creek sustainability and interactivity/connectivity with the audience. The shape of the sculpture is inspired by several populations of Coastal or San Diego Barrel Cactus (Fetocactus viridesious), a California native that is known to occur along the slopes of the Chollas Creek. Ecological interpretation and education are important along urban rivers because so many natural systems and references have been erased. The river’s history and function may not be obvious to the public. An informed public that understands river ecology as well as the potential for regeneration will support efforts to improve and protect our rivers now and in the future.

Community engagement included neighborhood-driven stewardship classes teaching planting workshops with Master Gardeners and native plants to attract regional pollinators back into the area. The creek restoration project and public art initiatives created a safer passageway for students in the neighborhood walking to Horton Elementary School.

Visualize Biodiversity supports and encourages efforts to understand and preserve the natural resources for the improvement of the Southeastern neighborhoods of San Diego. Biodiversity, or “biological diversity,” refers to the variety of plants, animals, and other living things in a particular area or region. Visual Biodiversity’s shape is inspired by several populations of Coastal Cactus (Ferocactus viridescens), a California Native Plant Society (CNPS) is a protected species and is known to occur along the slopes of the Encanto Branch and Chollas Creek. The initiative for the Chollas Creek Enhancement Program is to take Chollas Creek from a hidden and neglected waterway and transform it into a linear urban park: becoming a historic, geographic, symbolic, and civic focal point.

City of Parks Donor Wall

20L x 8H Painted Stainless Steel, Dip-tech Printed Glass and LED Lighting

Founders Park in Janesville, WI

“Trees are our mightiest metaphor for the cycle of life.“ David George Haskel - Biologist

The donor wall for ARISE Now honors the contribution of numerous donors that generously reinvested in the future of Janesville. The organic tree and glass sculpture flow seamlessly alongside the riverbank downtown. Seven endemic Wisconsin leaf species were the inspiration for the printed design on the glass. Seven tree layers are distinctively painted in organic colors that are reflected in the glass donor wall.

The laser-cut trees and three glass panels etched with donor names connect people with the importance of their natural world in the community. The sculpture honors the natural history and settlement along the banks of the Rock River, celebrating the importance of the river in everyday life.

Trees are essential to our urban landscapes: they help reduce water run-off, absorb air pollution, and decrease urban heat-island effects. Native plants provide more: they reconnect our gardens and parks to nature, support birds, pollinators, beneficial insects, and native ecosystems. Wisconsin is home to over 1,800 species of native plants. Just as in nature, healthy human ecosystems are imperative to the health and wellness of our communities.

John Nolen was a pioneer in the development of modern urban and regional planning. He developed the first comprehensive plan for the City of Janesville. His proposed ideas included naturalistic open spaces, contoured streets and gateways, and neighborhood elements. His ideas bridged a way for progression among all residents in the community. He noted the beauty of the Rock River and advocated for the establishment of parks along the riverbank. Today, Janesville is known as the "City of Parks''.

Nolen was a visionary and understood the importance of parks as a community asset. There is direct correlation between the amount of trees and grass in community common spaces and the use of those common spaces by residents, which leads to more opportunities for informal social interaction and greater relationships between neighbors. Nolen suggested that the banks along the entire length of the Rock River be turned into parks and pleasure drives, and that land undesirable for building be developed into large multipurpose urban parks.

LIVEDaybreak, UT - DayBreak Greenway Trail - Daybreak, UT

Painted Stainless with Interactive LED Lighting

17’H x 20’D

2022

The five native Prairie Coneflowers standing tall along DayBreak’s Greenway Trail are surrounded by snow-capped mountains when they light up the Utah sky at night. The Cadence public art project is integrated into the overall greenway space and is the distinguishing landmark where the community comes together for recreation, celebration and community. Kids and grown ups alike can run under, play around and explore artwork during the day - and at night with the interactive lights. The Cadence public art project celebrates the understanding of Utah’s biodiversity, raises awareness of the need for healthy ecosystems and the importance of the importance of our urban green spaces.

Wildﬂowers and pollinators are the metaphor for a healthy, alive Daybreak community. Wildflowers are incredibly important to our environment because they support entire ecosystems for pollinators, birds, and small animals on a micro-scale. Butterﬂies, other insects, small birds, and animals depend on seeds, nectar, and pollen for their food supply and life support system. Additionally, some pollinators are not very mobile or have very small home ranges; they may depend on just one species of plant and die once their habitat has been destroyed. The discovery of a wildflower in its native habitat can be one of the most beautiful experiences we can have with nature. Imagine a place where you can wander through, under and dance beneath, just one example of the incredible diversity of wildflowers in Utah.

Native plants have adapted to an amazing array of habitats and microclimates in the region, achieving a balance with other living things and forming the foundation for all life. Growing native plants adds beauty and important habitats for wildlife, especially for pollinators. Even a small backyard garden can make a big difference. Gardening connects us to nature and helps us better understand how nature works!

The guiding principle behind the design of this LED system is to welcome visitors by bringing to life an engaging, and cohesive creative lighting experience. This requires a lighting system that is flexible enough to address current needs and to adapt to future needs, especially as creative lighting becomes mainstream and more creativity and interaction becomes desirable. The goal is to design a system that will be organic and dynamic, delivering light with fluid motion that feels natural. The lights are designed to interact with the audience like fireflies in the summer sky.

Fabrication Process

Light Fixtures

The light fixtures were designed to represent the shape and texture of the” Ratibida Columnifera” center. The Latin name “columnifera” means “column,” referring to the prominent center of each blossom.

Fixture was initially hand sculpted of clay prior to being molded in a 4 part mold system. Then each globe was poured and cast in an exterior UV resistant resin.

The light fixtures were then fitted with a custom built LED lighting unit created to showcase a variety of lighting effects.

Each light fixture weighs around 17 pounds.

Flowers

Main structure of the flowers were designed in CAD with detailed components to fulfill engineering and structural integrity.

Each flower was designed around five different varieties of Coneflowers. All arranged and sized in a natural and organic cluster.

Each individual petal was hand cut and forged out of 6061 Aluminum sheet material.

Flower stems were hand bent to create the vertical movement and positioning of each individual flower and their view point.

There is approximately 300 square feet of Aluminum plate and sheet material used in the fabrication of the flowers around 90 feet of tubing in the stems.

All the petals and stems are hand painted using a 3 part Urethane Enamel Automotive paint.

Each individual flower weighs under 100 pounds

(4) - 15’ H - Stainless Steel and Cast Resin with Programed LED Lighting

SW 8th Ave & SE Lyon St Albany, OR 97321

Albany Public Art recently installed its first commission - Integrated Narrative in the Monteith Historic District park. These four, 15 ft tall laser cut stainless steel and cast resin wildflowers are highly visible during the day. They can be clearly seen from any vantage point in the area. At night, the flowers take new life as the cast resin globes pulse and dance, lighting up the night sky like fireflies in the evening sky. The flower and pollinator species used in the art design were chosen from Linn County’s local habitat. The goal of the artwork is to create an urban haven of exploration and play, where one can experience the incredible biodiversity of Oregon.

Wildflowers support entire ecosystems for pollinators, birds, and small animals on a micro-scale. Butterflies and other insects, small birds, and animals depend on seeds, nectar, and pollen for their food supply and life support system. Native plants have adapted to an amazing array of habitats and microclimates in the region, achieving a balance with other living things and forming the foundation for our lives.

Many of our native pollinators and wildflowers are under threat because of the loss of habitat and the use of pesticides. We can all make a difference by exploring and understanding our link with our regional biodiversity - and by planting native species in our backyard and urban areas, we can bring back the pollinators.

Art Design & Pattern Native Species:

1) Camassia leichtlinii

Pollinator: Anise Swallowtail, Silvery Blue, and Fender's Blue

2) Limnanthes douglasii

Pollinator: Beetles, Bumblebees, solitary bees and Hoverflies

3) Trillium Ovatum

Pollinator: Ants. Each seed has a little oil-rich appendage that is attractive to ants. The ants carry the seeds back to their nests where they eat the appendages or feed them to the larvae and then discard the remaining seeds on rubbish piles.

Other regional pollinators that you can see laser cut into the patterns on the petals include:

Anise Swallowtail (Papilio zelicaon) Silvery Blue (Glaucopsyche lygdamus)

Fender's Blue (Icaricia icarioides fenderi)

Lorquin's Admiral (Limenitis lorquini)

Monarch (Danaus plexippus)

Common Buckeye (Junonia coenia)

Compton Tortoiseshell(Nymphalis vaualbum)

European Peacock (Inachis io)

Mourning Cloak (Nymphalis antiopa)

Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui)

Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta)

Satyr Comma (Polygonia satyrus)

85lb Rail Steel, Laser Cut Stainless Steel with LED Lighting

Ties That Bind embodies the vital identity and values of the Bowling Green community, with eight historic rails soaring 17 feet in the air. Wooster Green is one of the most visible and historically significant parcels of land in the City. Ties that Bind becomes the focal point by creating an opportunity for people to rediscover Bowling Green and the important natural history of the region.

In-depth knowledge of the region's natural environment inspired and directed the art pattern and LED sculpture. At night, the sculpture comes alive with added dimension as the LED lights interact in a cacophony, encouraging participation and curiosity about environmental stewardship. The sculpture was inspired by the billions of birds that used the flight way for generations. Though the cacophony can no longer be heard in the spring in the fall, the sculpture stands as a testimony of what existed before. Ties that Bind serves as remembrance of the importance that our natural biological systems play in health and wellbeing.

The end of the Wisconsin Age gave birth to the immense freshwater treasure known as the Great Lakes. Most of the lakes shore rose above the water, but about a 30 mile stretch on the southwestern Lake Erie shore did not, creating the Great Black Swamp – one of the most famous wetlands in early historic United States. Centuries ago, the area was a wild expanse of wet forest and marsh stretching across a million acres. And those marshes were legendary – perfect for waterfowl. Every spring, billions of birds sweep north to northwestern Ohio: driven by ancient instincts to return to their breeding grounds, traveling vast distances, navigating with remarkable precision, and performing astonishing feats of endurance as they spanned the globe - a huge phenomenon and yet mostly invisible. It is visible only in places where quirks of geography forced the birds to concentrate in unusual numbers - Ohio is unique in being one of those places. The Wooster Green rails soaring high in the air evoke the feeling of the wetland grasses where birds found refuge in the annual migration flights.

Wooster Green is the site of a former public school that was demolished. Situated between downtown and the residences in the Boomtown Historic District, the land of Wooster Green has served as the heart of the community. The goal of the public artwork was to celebrate the pillars of the community that built Bowling Green. Wooster Green’s sculpture reflects the identity and values of the Bowling Green community. Each of the eight historic bent rails of differing lengths is topped by words signifying key elements of Bowling Green’s history, development and its place in Wood County.

Warren Williams Home - Columbus Museum

Columbus GA

12’H x 3’D

Laser Cut Stainless Steel with LED Lighting

Making Conversation public art was driven by resident enthusiasm . The Columbus Museum received a prestigious award from the American Association for State and Local History for work on the oral history project Making Conversation with Warren Williams Homes. Making Conversation was a four-phase, 18-month project that included oral history interviews conducted by volunteers, resident dinners with brief historical programs, collaborative art-making activities for children and teens, and an exhibition at the Museum. The culmination of the project was the installation of a sculpture of the same name in the Warren Williams community: Making Conversation.

People are often surprised to learn that the southeastern United States is one of the most bio-diverse temperate areas in the world. In fact, it has been referred to as a "biodiversity hot-spot” Georgia is home to more than 4,000 species of native plants and animals. At least 10% of these species are in danger or threatened.

The diversity in soils, plenty of rain, plenty of warmth and sunlight, and longitudinal range are some of the important factors that create the unique richness of species and environments in Georgia. It is important to celebrate this great national treasure.

Just as in nature, healthy human ecosystems are imperative to the health and wellness of our communities. Warren Williams is an example of an important ecosystem that supports, nourishes and sustains the members in its community. The tree becomes the symbol of wellness in the Warren Williams Community. Warren Williams Home was established in 1945 to provide families with the resources that help them grow - to make the members of the community's dreams and educational goals come true. The artwork support the goals of Making Conversation: to change the narrative of Warren Williams, Making Conversations reverses that notion by bringing underrepresented stories to the forefront, providing a distinguished platform via museum exhibition and art installation, and leaving participants empowered to join in removing the remnants of Columbus’ institutional segregation.

Crescent Lucerne Communities

Orlando, FL

40’ x 40’

Laser Cut Stainless & Corten Steel with Choreographed LED Lighting 2019

Public Art Design Inspiration: Florida’s Native and Endemic Wildflowers

The Bloom sculpture and LED Light programming celebrates the unique ecological significance of Florida’s biodiversity. Biodiversity, or “biological diversity,” refers to the variety of plants, animals and other living things in a particular area or region. The flower patterns and shapes are inspired by seven native and endemic wildflowers that bloom in Orange County, Florida. The goal of the artwork is to foster public recognition of the spectacular diversity of Orange county and recognize a treasure that’s to be valued and habitats to be protected.

Florida is ranked as the seventh most biologically rich state in the continental U.S with 4,368 unique species with 14.3% of these species considered “At Risk”. The landscapes of Florida represent a rare jewel in America’s crown of great natural spaces. To be recognized as a global biodiversity hotspot, a region must contain at least 1,500 endemic plant species found nowhere else in the world and have experienced more than 70 percent habitat loss. The Coastal Plain has 1,816 endemic plants and has suffered an 85.5 percent loss of natural habitat. Florida is entirely within the Coastal Plain and is the richest area biologically, but also the most threatened.

A grouping or a field of wildflowers is one of the most beautiful experiences we can encounter in nature. But wildflowers also support entire ecosystems for pollinators, birds, and small animals on a micro scale. Butterflies and other insects, small birds, and animals depend on seeds, nectar, and pollen for their food supply and life support system.The natural plants have adapted to an amazing array of habitats and microclimates in the region, achieving a balance with other living things and forming the foundation for all life.

While interacting with the sculpture, you encounter several of the plant species that you find in Florida’s natural ecosystems, as though you’ve been transported to an over sized garden in the wild. The goal is to foster public recognition of the spectacularly diverse flora of Orange County and recognize a treasure that’s to be valued and habitats to be protected. The preservation of Florida's rich biodiversity is critical to maintaining the unique and unparalleled natural beauty of the state

The Great Migration

120’L x 9’H - Laser Cut Stainless Steel with LED Lighting

MARTA Candler Station - Atlanta, GA

MARTA’s public art project in Atlanta offers a timeless and imperative way to honor the life, vision and legacy of Martin Luther King. Dr. King was an early advocate in asserting that health is a human right, and he recognized that social justice could not be achieved without environmental justice. He was one of the early visionaries discussing fair treatment for all - healthier living environments for underprivileged communities and universal access to clean air, water, and soil. The profound need for protection of these rights, too often neglected, is at the heart of Deeedee Morrison's collaborative project with MARTA.

The Great Migration public art presence in the community is an invaluable step forward in ways that reverse that historic legacy in the community, educate the public on the importance of ensuring environmental justice for all, and celebrate the opportunities to revitalize our local urban landscapes.

Our native and endemic flowering plant species support entire ecosystems for our neighborhood pollinators and other insects.The natural plants have adapted to an amazing array of habitats and micro-climates in the region, achieving a balance with other living things and forming the foundation for all life. Growing native plants in your yard adds beauty but more importantly adds habitats for wildlife, especially for pollinators. Even a small backyard garden can make a big difference. Pollinators have evolved with native plants, which are best adapted to the local growing season, climate, and soils.

When a bumble bee feeds on the nectar and pollen of sunflowers, it pollinates the flowers, which will produce fruit eaten by songbirds, deer, and dozens of other animals, including humans. We call the bumble bee and other pollinators keystone species because they are species upon which others depend. Pollinators are vital to maintaining healthy ecosystems. They are essential for plant reproduction, and produce genetic diversity in the plants they pollinate. The more diverse plants are, the better they can weather changes in the environment.

While interacting with the sculpture, you encounter several of the plant species that you find in Georgia’s natural and wild ecosystems.The goal is to foster public recognition of the spectacularly diverse flora of the region and recognize a treasure that’s to be valued and habitats to be protected

Sunrise Rotary Plaza - Jones Valley Trail

29’ H x 9’D

Torch Cut 85 lb Rail Steel, Stainless with LED Lighting

The definition of inception: the establishment or starting point (of an activity). The concept of the drop of water is for regeneration or new life into the landscape. Nothing erases the past - in fact it becomes a distant memory, or a ripple in time. But it is how we honor our past that determines our future. The reshaping of the environment and the human impact of that reshaping continues in Birmingham to this day. The center sphere of the sculpture is the inception or starting point of opportunity for our future - and the choices we make every day, individually and collectively are the determining factor in how we shape our future.

Birmingham's existence began with the railroad. Prior to the rail, Jones Valley was just another valley in the foothills of the Appalachians. Once it was discovered there was coal, limestone, iron ore and dolomite, along with an abundance of fresh water, Birmingham quickly grew to become one of the South’s largest industrial-based metropolitan areas. The Relic Yard Park is designed in its entirety as a "relic yard'', honoring the industrial legacy of Birmingham and the repercussions of that eventuality.

Water from the nearby Avondale Spring brought the rail and industry to the area and is the inspiration for the design concept for the park. A birds eye view reveals land that is sculpted in concentric circles that undulate out from the circular base of the center sculpture, creating the rippling effect of a drop of water, disrupting the linear park. The ripple breaks at 4 points (2 on either side of the sculpture). These breaks create a walking path leading off to the edges of the park, where there are four additional sculpture sites for future build out. Other Birmingham or regional artists will have the opportunity to contribute public art elements using industrial relic material readily available in Birmingham and contributing to the industrial history being shared throughout the experience in the park. The visual impact will be monumental in scale - extending out as a wave from the center sculpture.

The center sculpture soars 26’ into the skyline and is hand cut using 370’ of 85lb. Rail. Past the mid-section of the vertical rise, there is a silver sphere nested inside the hand cut rail, reiterating the impression of a water droplet - the source of life and fostering renewal.

Hand cut rail steel at varying vertical heights, cascades as a triptych around the sculpture, replicating a sense of the geology of the valley and thereby honoring the contributions of our natural resources in our built environments. The color of aged rail, oche, bright silver and the glossy blackness of coal speak to Birmingham's industrial heritage.

Inception encourages a relationship between the pedestrian, their interconnected natural environment and our shared history; honoring the invaluable contributions made by the native abundance of the land and by the iron and steel workers and their families to Birmingham’s economic, cultural and industrial development.