Gardening Angel

“Gardening Angel” is a site-specific sculpture designed for installation in Jackie Robinson park. This three-dimensional artwork represents the concepts of growth and prosperity within the community. This black with iridescent copper scumbled glaze ceramic figure, standing at a approximately 58” tall (sculpture 38”, planting approximately 24” at full height), 20” wide, 24”deep, weighing 150 pounds (including ceramic sculpture, soil and plant) serves as a tangible symbol of the potential for positive change within ourselves and our surroundings.

The sculpture will depict a life-sized figure, stopping at waist height, with an opening designed to function as a vessel, including the hips, thighs, and feet. These elements will be crafted from a blend of paper clay and stoneware, held together with clear silicone and supported by a concealed metal armature buried beneath the ground, next to the basketball court. The central ceramic figure, designed at human scale, serves as a tangible symbol of the potential for positive change within ourselves and our environment. It is intended to evoke a nurturing sense of physical growth, with a specific focus on the waist area to emphasize this concept. To reference the enduring power and strength of our black and brown community’s continuous evolution and pursuit of potential, the surface of the ceramic figure is finished with a nuanced multi-toned bronze glazing process, underscoring the sculpture’s message of resilience and growth.

To further emphasize these themes, vibrant blue hydrangeas — traditionally associated with heartfelt emotion such as love, abundance and gratitude — will be planted around the sculpture, to symbolize our gratitude for our diverse and flourishing community and our readiness to embrace the changes occurring in West Harlem.

The presence of blue hydrangeas symbolizes my love for my community, abundance for what we create together, and ultimately my gratitude for the spirit we embody as a people. In addition to the sculpture itself, I aim to foster a sense of joy and engage visitors by organizing activities related to the Gardening Angel. For example with my professional clowning expertise I will host a performance in which I create balloon flowers as gifts to the folks passing by. This and other public performances will serve as an inclusive extension of the Gardening Angel’s message of growth, prosperity, and unity.