Michael Vergason Landscape Architects

The mission statement of the AVDLM is “We want to see the Capitol and we want the Capitol to see us.” A clear statement that reflects the dedication to country of those who elect to serve in the military and a demand that for those who are wounded or disabled in the line of duty deserve the best treatment and care the country can provide. I was invited by Michael Vergason to be a design consultant and artist during the early stages of the Memorial design. My focus was to help with the narrative of service, sacrifice and purpose within the glass walls and cast bronze sculptures. After seven years the Memorial was dedicated in the autumn of 2014.

Design team: Michael Vergason Landscape Architects (Lead Designer), Fluidity Design, Cloud Gehshon Associates. Photography by Craig Collins.

Thirteen years in the making and four different locations made for one of the most challenging projects I have undertaken. The final site, on Pittsburgh’s North Shore waterfront park, provided a significant venue to honor the service and sacrifice of the World War II generation of the Pittsburgh area. Through a written narrative using local voices relating experiences at home and on the battlefield combined with photographic images printed on the glass panels the story of this great generation is told.

In collaboration with: Design Workshop, Denver. Photography by Craig Collins.

Passage is located at the National Center for Civil and Human Rights. Conceived, commissioned, constructed and installed in less than eight months this fast track water sculpture was a thrilling creative experienced. The two leaning glass and stainless steel structures create a gateway to the museum. The texts engraved into the glass by Nelson Mandela and Margaret Meade address the essence for the worldwide struggle of civil and human rights. The water flowing over the glass suggests a third quote by Dr. Martin Luther King: “Let justice roll down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream.”

Design team: Joel Straus Consulting, John Grant and Junoworks, Fluidity Design. Photography by Craig Collins.

Garden Gifts is located at the Palo Alto Medical Foundation Sunnyvale Clinic. The glass facades of the main lobby and secondary lobby were selected as the sites for art in this primary care clinic and oncology infusion center. The client and architect stated that they wanted the patient experience to be like walking in a garden. A place that was welcoming and calming for the patient experience.

The pattern of willow leaves on the front facade was printed directly on the glass by General Glass Incorporated using the Alice printing process. The glass rails and Hummingbird glass were created by direct painting and firing at Mayer Glass of Munich, Germany.

Hawley Peterson Snyder Architects. Photography by Craig Collins.

The entrance to the private Museum of the Bible conveys the mission of the institution in an artful concept that contributes to the understanding of the most important book in Western history.

The inspiration for the bronze entry portal is the invention of the printing press by Johannes Gutenberg, Mainz, German, to produce the Bible. The first book ever printed. The edition was released in the early 1400’s. Gutenberg worked to recreate the beauty of the hand written bibles. It was written in Latin in a typeface based upon hand calligraphy.

This invention is considered one of the most consequential in history. It gave rise to the mass production of written materials, increased the ability to read among the lower and middle classes, changed education, politics and religion.

The monumental doors are made from 3” thick German Brass. It is a recreation the printing plate from the Gutenberg press of page one of Genesis. This means the letters are in reverse, ready to be inked, paper applied, run through the pressing process to create the first of hundreds of pages required to be bound into the book.

The entry vestibule to the Museum of the Bible is defined by a free-standing art glass window made up of 16 panels. One of the oldest artifacts belonging to the Museum is one fragment of Bodmer Papyri.

This ancient Greek text is the 19th Psalm. It has been recreated in the art glass by a combination of glass printing, overpainting, and engraving. The papyrus plant is a reed that grows on marshy areas of the Nile River. The inside of the stalk was peeled and cut into long strips. Strips were laid side by side. There are two layers—one horizontal and one vertical. Wetted down they are then pressed and dried to make a papyrus sheet.

The Bodmer Papyri were found in 1952 in Egypt near the ancient headquarters of an order of Monks. There are some fifty texts in all, suggesting it was part of the monk’s library. It includes religious texts as well as the Iliad by Homer and Greek comedies of Menander.

This particular leaf contains the 19th Psalm from the old testament. It begins: "The Heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handy work… There is no speech nor language where their voice is not heard," and ends with "O LORD, my strength and my redeemer." Engraved on the front face of each of the 16 art glass panels is a translation of the 19th Psalm in a different language selected by MOTB Curators: Greek, Latin, Syriac, Hebrew, Ge’ez, Coptic, Swahili, Arabic, German, English, Spanish, French, Chinese, Russian, Hindi, and Korean.

Photography by Craig Collins.

Intertwine, located in an atrium at Brown University’s Alpert Medical School, is a mural that reflects communication between doctor and patient.

At either end of the artwork—which comprises white marble and green, gold, and black granite—are engraved female and male figures, partially gilded with gold and surrounded by a pattern of willow leaves among which are hidden various objects and symbols representing life. The interior of each figure is another botanical pattern.

The two figures are connected by engraved and gilded EKG heartbeat lines. At the center of the mural are engraved three base pairs of DNA molecules, a maze, and renderings of paired hands. Six vertical bronze elements stand in relief from the mural, comprising letter blocks that spell words associated with humanitarian care, such as “service,” “empathy,” “courage,” and “diligence.”

In front of the mural, two carved marble chairs, each weighing 800 pounds, face each other.

Photography by Craig Collins.

A large pulp and paper industrial site on the banks of the Columbia River had been environmentally remediated and purchased by Gramor Development Corporation. The planned development of residential and commercial properties would allow the citizens of Vancouver, Washington, access to their riverfront for the first time in decades. Gramor allotted 8 acres along the river bank for the city to develop into a city park. Margot Long, Principal of PWL Landscape and Planning of Vancouver, Canada, was the lead visionary in designing the park. It included a pedestrian pier extending over the river as well as a water feature.

I was asked to join the design team in 2015 and focused on these two elements. My first suggestion was to make the pier a mast and cable stay construction instead of sinking dozens of pilings into the sensitive fish habitat of the river. This concept excited both the developers and the city. As with all complex projects, I assembled a team of talent to explore the feasibility and then develop the construction of the pier. John Grant, Public Art Services, acted as project manager and Martin and Martin Engineering provided structural engineering and Michael Mowry created the architectural renderings.

The pier is now an icon of the city. It is a destination for the region and visitors. There is a constant flow of pedestrians, suspended over the swift waters of the mighty Columbia, North America’s fourth largest waterway. Ship and pleasure boat traffic enhance the views of the city of Portland across the way and the views to Mount Hood east along the river.

East of the Grant Street Pier is an interactive water feature based upon the watershed of the Columbia River. A black granite monolith, 12’ x 16’ x 2’, is the main source of water. The east side is engraved with a powerful essay on the river by author Teresa Jordan. Centered between the columns of text is a cast bronze relief map of the entire watershed. Those familiar with the region can find the Cascade Mountain range, Columbia River Gorge and many other geographic features. The west side of the monolith has an intricately engraved topographic map of the headwaters of the Columbia. Water flows of the entire map and then courses 180 feet flowing west toward the Pier.

Five assemblies of gold and green granite are other sources of water flowing into the mainstem. Engraved with the names of the major tributaries to the Columbia, these granite blocks also have the length of each river and the square miles of their respective watershed. Quotes about rivers and water by noted authors are also engraved in the granite.

The entire composition provides opportunities to splash in the clean water, wander and learn about the river system flowing adjacent to the park, and respect the valuable natural resource of the Columbia River.

Photography by Craig Collins.

Kirkland created two artworks, Denver True and East-West, Source Point, for the Denver Civic Center, designed by Tryba Architects and RNL Architects.

Denver True hangs inside the building. It is composed of representations of two essential builder’s tools: a plumb bob, crafted from gold and aluminum, suspended over a surveyor’s target of dichroic glass. Sunlight through the dichroic glass casts colored beams onto a grid representing city streets on the floor below.

In the outdoor entry plaza, Kirkland carved two back-to-back classical heads from Bardiglio marble. The heads—based upon Janus, the Roman deity of portals—face due east and west and lie at the junction of two granite lines that bisect the plaza, indicating longitude and latitude. At the center of the heads is suspended a gilded plumb bob, marked in relief with the handprints of workers.

Kirkland created four artworks for a facility designed by architects BohlinCywinski Jackson for Lehigh University’s new Science, Technology, Environment, Policy and Society program.

A tall window in the main lecture hall and laboratory wing is engraved with a tree, from the roots to the highest limbs. This potent image, conceived by illustrator Rob Wood, represents multiple aspects of the environment: healthy soil, water to nurture growth, clean air, sun and the process of photosynthesis.

At the center of the administration wing is a nexus where the main entry hall, the entries to two auditoriums, and an outdoor courtyard converge. Here, the floor is an engraved “tapestry” that recalls both interwoven threads and topographic landforms. It was inspired by the John Muir quotation: “When we try to pick out anything by itself, we find it hitched to everything else in the universe.” A glass wall separating the hall from the courtyard is engraved with the leaf and pod of the extinct American Chestnut tree, also illustrated by Rob Wood.In the courtyard is a wall of granite engraved with two cupped hands, over which water cascades.

Photography by Craig Collins.

For the lobby of the Keck Center at the National Academy of Sciences, Kirkland created three wall sculptures of granite and marble. The walls are engraved and etched with images that represent the sciences and man’s relationship with the environment, including Galileo’s star map, Darwin’s finches, a DNA double helix, and the Golden Gate Bridge. The walls also contain cast bronze objects and mounted natural specimens such as a meteorite

The conceptual development of the sculpture for the new Chemistry and Chemical Biology complex at Rutgers University involved many discussions with a faculty and student committee. Lively discussions about what this art work should represent brought out historical divisions among the many disciplines. The Rutgers campus is one of the oldest in the country and northern New Jersey has multitudes of historical sites. I felt that the work might be grounded in history and allude to the past as well as the future. A monumental stainless-steel molecule on an engraved granite plinth would be a contemporary version off the cast bronze “hero on a horse” statuary so prevalent in the region.

Students of all levels share a dedication to the complexities of their chosen field. Late night in the lab are expected and competition is friendly but real. The molecular structure of CAFFFEINE is the basis for the sculpture. It is the one thing all students, faculty and alumni have in common. Coffee fuels the late nights and early mornings of the laboratory.

Touring the old classrooms, the one image that was resonant was the blackboards covered with equations and formulas on top of the ghost images of a previous lecture. The engraved base is a collage of symbols, equations, and images inspired by these blackboards. Over fifty of these engravings detail a history of the field in both spectacular successes and tragic failures. From penicillin to thalidomide, from the work of the daughter of Marie Curie, Irene was awarded the Nobel prize but died at an early age of leukemia, possibly related to her research with polonium-12. Drawings of laboratory equipment from Antoine-Laurent Lavoisier, the founder of contemporary chemistry, are also included.

For the curious and the knowledgeable, study of the three sides of the engraved granite base reveals the rich and complex history of chemistry and how it has extended human life but also the consequences to our environment.

Photography by Craig Collins.

Berryessa/North San Jose Station for Valley Transit Authority extends the service of the Bay Area Rapid Transit to the south Bay Area.

The round cast bronze sculpture recalls many modes of transportation, from bicycles to carts, cars, trucks and trains. The inspiration for LIFE!, is from the historic and wonderful San Jose Flea Market across the street from the station. It is also a personal commentary on all the stuff I have accumulated in six decades of life. I am about at the point in my life where it is time to start thinking about what I need and what I can give to others.

Over several months of visiting the “Flea” and collecting objects from second hand shops and other places, the found objects were placed on a large foam shape at the world renown Walla Walla Foundry in Washington State. Each item was then molded and cast and then assembled into the one large object.

It is like a personal “wheel of life”, containing the things we use and accumulate over a lifetime. Kitchen utensils and workshop tools are the things we make in our homes and our jobs. There are toys that suggest childhood pastimes, sports equipment and musical instruments that bring enjoyment to us all. These are the things that make up an individual life. The 10’ diameter cast bronze sculpture is being pushed up the slope of the granite base by a small human figure. In many ways this is a self portrait of everyone. The intention was to create an artwork that daily passengers would look at and find something new every day. Hidden within all the objects are words, symbols and objects that relate to us all.

Photography by Craig Collins.

OrbisTerrarum, designed for the main lobby of a residential cruise ship, comprises three artworks based on cartography.

The main archway into the lobby is covered with stainless-steel panels. The archway is engraved on one side with a terrestrial topographic map, layered with images from science, such as a molecule of carbon; the other side has a map of an unidentified city, along with images associated with growth, such as an acorn.

A wall of the lobby has a mural of black granite and white marble featuring ancient and modern celestial charts from around the world.

The third part of the artwork is the lobby’s black granite floor, engraved with a maritime chart and objects associated with navigation and sailing.

In 1849 52 boundary markers, stacks of stones, were placed to mark the new boundary between Mexico and the United States. Later in that century 258 concrete obelisks were placed to reinforce those original markers. Far from the Wall of steel fences and concertina wire, these markers were simple markers on the porous border of friendly countries.

The Federal Courthouse in Las Cruces, New Mexico deals with many legal issues but overwhelmingly cases involve immigration. The most painful decisions send illegal immigrants back to their original countries, often separating families. The most joyous are naturalization ceremonies granting immiigrants U.S. citizenship.

The Obelisk and Divide, inspired by border boundary markers between the United States and Mexico, are not just a simple reference to this geographic demarcation. The two sculptures are a metaphor for the cultural and historical context that these markers represent. They serve as standing monuments to the complex issues of the border, the judicial process and their sociological implications, touching many of the lives of those who enter this building. Sculpted from a laminated column of honey onyx and marble, the Obelisk actually replicates the border markers in their dimension. The use of honey onyx, a stone found in Mexico, with the marble, which is abundant in the United States, further builds upon this compelling metaphor.

Photography by Craig Collins.

The arts committee at Richard Stockton College requested an artwork in the form of a fireplace for a new student center designed by KSS Architects.

The black granite surface is engraved with images from the arts and sciences, such as a maritime map of coastal New Jersey, various animals, mathematic symbols, and a human heart.The fire bowl is a three-foot long bronze vessel held aloft by cast bronze hands.

A sixty-foot-tall glass chimney was engraved withthe DNA double helix and a white pine cone, a reference to the college’s location among the vast New Jersey Pine Barrens.

Photography by Craig Collins.

Wonder Wander defines the new central park in the National Gateway at Potomac Yard, a mixed-use development across the Potomac River from Washington, D.C. Kirkland, working with LSG Landscape Architecture, dramatically altered the original park design as the concept for the artwork evolved.

Two monumental blocks of carved black granite are deeply engraved with the image of a young woman’s eyes upturned to the sky. Water, in varying amounts of flow, animates the surface of the stone, revealing or obscuring the image. The almond shape of the eyes is repeated throughout the park, such as on the benches that mark the entries, which are topped with granite engraved with images from nature.Mingling pathways throughout create specialty planting and paving areas.

Photography by Craig Collins.

The 30,000 square foot 22’ tall lobby for the new University of Iowa Children’s Hospital has 14,000 square feet of open space that is open day and night for the patients, families and staff of the facility.

The goal was to make an environment that was welcoming and a place to investigate and discover. From working on several other children’s hospitals I know that one goal is to create distractions for those families dealing with a seriously ill child. The building was the design of Foster+Partners and the interiors by Zimmer Gunsal Frasca Partnership. I was brought into the project by ZGF to focus on the lobby. Our collaboration touched every surface and resulted in a bright joyful adventuresome space.

The elliptical shape of the building has an hour glass shaped central room in the lobby which serves as reception, safety store and gift shop as well as café and performance space. It is covered with over 6000 painted metal triangle 22’ tall and 4” deep. Over 40 colors were used to create the BLOOM WALL. BLOOM goes from vivid blues, greens and violet to paler and paler hues and then to white, reverses and blooms again. This creates an ever changing palette as one navigates through the space.

The DISCOVERY FLOOR of terrazzo uses a twisting ribbon motif filled with a variety of patterns, images of toys, tools, animals and birds intertwined like puzzle pieces. In addition, Spirograph patterns mark the larger gathering spaces within the lobby.

Six MY TOWN wind vanes rotate overhead. Stacks of inlaid Corian alphabet blocks spell out the names of geographically dispersed Iowa towns. Images associated with these places enliven the blocks. The wind vanes suggest a visual narrative and recall the rural roots of the state.

The six LET’S SEE vitrines link two sides of the lobby with small scale three dimensional cases. Using alphabet blocks, toy animals and other found objects, the art pieces are perfect for exploring hidden words and math challenges as a place to distract and discover.

Photography by Craig Collins.

El Intercambio was designed to forge a physical and symbolic connection between two new buildings at the Paul L. Foster School of Medicine at Texas Tech University.

Working closely with landscape architect Jason Hodges, Kirkland crafted a six-foot-wide, 200-foot-long pathway of granite pavers engraved with images of life. The path is bordered by a one-foot-wide concrete band, cast in place.

Hodges designed a series of four garden “rooms,” and Kirkland created a granite sculpture for each. The largest of these, Portal, references details of the school’s main entryway. In outline, the sculpture of striped Imperial red and Kashmir gold granite recalls Spanish Mission architecture, while cut through it is the profile of a human head.

Mind, crafted from the same two types of granite, is the positive head cut out of Portal. It is engraved with a floral pattern, recalling the region’s Hispanic culture; within the design are hidden tools of daily life.

On either end of the pathway are Absolute black granite keyholes with windows in the shape of keys. The surfaces are engraved with images from science, such as human organs, molecular models, and mathematic equations.

Photographs 1, 2, 6, and 7 by Craig Collins.