Where the Tree is Born

This site was a new branch neighborhood library in San Jose. The artist conducted a design workshop with the local residents and selected the tree as the major theme for this artwork. The tree represents the community’s creative spirit. The artist carved a central sculpture that is an abstract form of a tree root, placed on a paving design. The history of the library’s founding is carved on the top like the growth rings on a tree trunk. The artist also collected handprints from the neighborhood and carved a relief pattern on the sculpture representing the community’s collective energy.

2008
Joyce Ellington Branch Library, San Jose, CA
Medium: Granite, exposed aggregate concrete and colored concrete
Dimensions: Height 24 in, Diameter 20 ft
Commissioned by City of San Jose Public Art Program