The Trinity Park Foundation, Inc. has donated two sculptures to the City of Durham to be permanently installed in medians in the neighborhood. The works have been created by two local artists, Michael Waller and Al Frega.
See a preview of the two works on Bull City Today:
“The Rising Flame” by Michael Waller
Some neighbors may remember Waller’s sculpture, “The Rising Flame”. It was originally installed on the lawn of the King’s Daughters Home and was displayed there for many years until the King’s Daughter’s Inn was established. The art was created as a memorial to Marie Austin, a lifelong supporter of the neighborhood. The sculpture has been in storage and will now be refurbished and placed at the east end of the Markham Avenue median. The top section of the piece consists of a forged bowl shape with various sized steel base tapered on the ends, representing a communal movement upwards toward preservation and growth. The ball entwined in the steel bar represents the unity guiding Trinity Park. The lower section of the piece represents the foundation and stability in which a community is built. The piece is approximately 7’ tall.
Julia Borbely-Brown and Don Ball stand with Al Frega’s 10′ tall “Industrial Romantic” sculpture.
“Industrial Romantic” by Al Frega
Frega’s work “Industrial Romantic” started as a neighborhood sign update and grew into something bigger. He designed a tall sculpture using parts of the HVAC system from the Liggett & Meyers factory located just a few blocks east of the proposed installation site on the edge of Trinity Park’s border. The sculpture is 10’ tall and made of steel. It weighs 1,200 pounds, and will be painted following extensive grinding and finishing. It will be placed at the median at Main Street and Buchanan Boulevard to replace the existing neighborhood sign at that location. That sign, originally crafted in the 1990’s by another Durham artist, the late Francis Vega, will be refurbished and moved to the west side of the Markham median.
In March, the city’s Cultural Advisory Board and Public Art Committee voted unanimously to accept the donations. Neighbors may start to see installation progress soon and enjoy these additions to the neighborhood.
