Radiating Vessels
artist statement
Radiating Vessels is a community-built, dynamic public art installation composed of cast metal vessels arranged into site-specific pillars throughout Durham, North Carolina. Each pillar, standing 8 to 10 feet tall, will be made of vessels cast in iron, aluminum, or bronze—some inlaid with ceramic and glass. Vessel forms will be round and bowl-like, ranging from 12 to 24 inches in diameter, with varied edge designs and surface treatments. Earth-toned patinas, inspired by nature, will shift and evolve over time, responding to light, weather, and touch. The work reflects the diversity, individuality and energy of the people who help create it.
But these are more than just metal forms. Each pillar is a collaborative portrait of a neighborhood, shaped by artists, residents, students, and donors working together. Pillars will be installed with space for viewers to walk around them, experiencing the shifting reflections, shadows, and etched text—names, quotes, personal messages—left by participants. They are both sculpture and storyteller, speaking in many voices.
In addition to the visual experience, Radiating Vessels will invite performance and interaction. Public programs will feature artists from other disciplines—dancers responding to the forms, musicians activating the vessels with mallets, writers creating poetry and prose inspired by the installations. These multidisciplinary moments will add texture and life to the work, making it not just seen but felt.
The project exemplifies Liberty Arts’ mission to foster creativity, collaboration, and community engagement. By offering individuals the opportunity to purchase and personalize a vessel, we create a sustainable funding model—one that invites donors not just to support, but to participate. Their contributions will help build not only the pillars themselves, but also the future Liberty Arts Community Arts and Education Center in downtown Durham.
Radiating Vessels stands as a testament to collective creativity. It’s a celebration of what can be forged when people come together—literally and figuratively—to shape something larger than themselves. Each pillar will serve as a permanent, living landmark: inviting reflection, sparking imagination, and reminding us that art belongs to everyone.
—Leah Foushee-Waller and Michael Waller, Liberty Arts
Radiating Vessels
Giving Levels
$5,000—Bronze, 24 inches in diameter, 50 pounds
$3,000—Bronze, 18 inches in diameter, 25 pounds
$1,000—Bronze, 12 inches in diameter, 20 pounds