Client

Overview

Planting the Seeds, polished mirror-finish spheres, Seeds beginning the process of germination, small orbs of life with fresh green piercing through – yearning for the sunlight above. The seeds are symbolic of the deep roots Merriam has in growth through industry, agriculture, and nurturing concepts of groundbreaking civil equality. With Planting the Seeds, Christopher Weed has, in his unforgettable fashion, brought an iconic image of this hopeful journey of progression and development. The massive spheres punctuated with graceful curving rods representational of the unsinkable and forward-thinking philosophy of the town and its history.

With it’s polished, mirror-finish spheres, these sculptures brightly and honestly show the world around them. They faithfully display the daily existence of the bustling marketplace, and allow the public a moment to ruminate on the fleeting and ever-changing beauty of the scenes unfolding and passing in an instant of reflection. The spheres are visible from Merriam Drive, an enticing image of sculpture contrasted cleverly with negative space, casting back to the viewer the vitality of Merriam Marketplace, and an invitation for a closer look. These larger than life iconic sculptures are 21’ H x 75’ W x 42’D. They are illuminated with LED’s.

Goals

I created three stainless-steel mirror finished seed spores beginning the process of germination, small orbs of life with fresh green piercing through - yearning for the sunlight above. The seeds are symbolic of the deep roots Merriam has in growth through industry, agriculture, and nurturing concepts of groundbreaking civil equality. With Planting the Seeds, Christopher Weed has, in his unforgettable fashion, brought an iconic image of this hopeful journey of progression and development. The massive spheres punctuated with graceful curving rods representational of the unsinkable and forward-thinking philosophy of the town and its history.

Process

The collaborative process between Merriam city officials, and the numerous other people involved including architects, engineers, city planners, contractors, and my design team, was seamless. All parties were flexible as sometimes there are unknowns with roadway infrastructure projects. This integration and pride in the project, one that would represent the city of Merriam for many generations to come was very welcoming and speaks to the pride felt by this community in their city.