Hands

Granite pavers, cob, lime plaster, mineral pigment, buckthorn, cattail thatch

8′-0″ x 6′-0″ x 6′-0″

North Park Village Nature Center

Chicago, IL

This public sculpture was designed as a tribute to the many volunteer stewards who work to restore the land to ecological health, and was commissioned by the Department of the Environment. All materials were locally harvested and either natural or repurposed. The foundation is built of hand-hewn granite pavers from an old road that used to run through the property. The sculpture is built of cob, a mixture of clay dug on site, sand from a nearby quarry and straw from a nearby farm. The exterior plaster is lime-based with yellow and red ochre pigment. The roof structure is built of buckthorn, an invasive species, and the roof is thatched with cattails harvested from the wetland. The design and build process was a collaboration with artist Genine Coleman, natural builder Adam Perry, community volunteers and myself.