With a $1400 grant from Duke through the Duke-Durham Neighborhood Partnership, awarded in partnership with TPNA, the Trinity Park Foundation purchased (and will soon install) long-hoped-for bronze labels for the three works of art located in The Trinity Park. With the placement of these labels, we are thrilled to be able to honor creativity and recognize the artists and artisans who bring beauty and vitality into our everyday lives.
It has been 18 years since Andrew Priess’s metal sculpture in appreciation of neighborhood pioneer Max Rogers was unveiled in the park. The untitled steel and copper sculpture stands within sight of Max’s former home on Trinity Avenue and references Max with its nod to the bullet nose grill of the Studebaker he drove around Durham. Max was instrumental in forming the TPNA and saving the green space of the current park from the development of a large apartment building.
The other two artworks in the park were both completed in 2019 and have quickly become beloved. Brooks Burleson spent weeks constructing and carving his Bug Walk from stone and other discarded materials. Neighbors walking by gave opinions on bugs that should come next in the walkway, which ended with the fan-favorite ladybug closest to the gazebo. Steve Little and Evie G. Watts constructed the new Trinity Park sign, entitled Corner of Watts and Trinity, from steel. The sculpture represents a street map of the neighborhood with the space where the park lies designated with a turquoise square. Neighbors are encouraged to look at the sculpture and find the spots where their own houses are located.
Looking ahead, the Foundation is eager to purchase and install labels for the remaining artworks in our neighborhood and make other needed improvements to the park and medians, as well as encourage more tree planting throughout the neighborhood through tree planting grants. We look forward to kicking off a fundraising campaign this fall. To support the Trinity Park Foundation, please send your tax-deductible gifts to P.O. Box 725, Durham, NC 27702. Thank you for caring for Trinity Park!\
