Public Art
Using glass to show diversity and history
Public art creates a shared image of the collective
Location
Lacey, WA
Application
Glass Public Art
Industry
Public Art
Type of Glass
Graphics,Solid Color Transparent,Printed
Overview
Created by Gregg Schlanger, a Professor of Art at Central Washington University, this public art project for North Thurston High School was designed to represent the diversity of the school while mimicking the history of the school’s original structures. Shaped like a fingerprint, the piece represents the individual and the shared image of the collective. Inspired by students and focused on capturing diversity as an evolving entity, the piece characterizes our common belonging and reflects the diversity of the student body and the community in which it lives. The colored glass represents the quality of light in the region while creating a sense of commonalities in our differences.
The design of the piece represents the barrel vault construction of the school’s original gymnasium, as well as the different colored glass squares that used to exist in the walls of the space. Thirty-three glass pieces of various colors are enclosed in the arc, while images of a fingerprint were digitally printed on the glass pieces. The glass squares along the outside of the piece were digitally printed with text showcasing student and alumni responses to the prompt “I am…”, further encapsulating the diversity of the community and the overall theme of “we are more alike than different.”
Glass In Action
Transparent, colored glass squares were digitally printed with fingerprint designs and quotes from students and alumni to provide texture and inspiration while reflecting the community in which it stands.
Our Team
Architect
Gregg Schlanger
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