We are happy to share that Gordon has been selected as one of three Semi-Finalists for the IMTT Sculpture Art Commission contract, administered by the City of Richmond Arts and Culture Division.

The designated site is visible to both vehicular and bicycle traffic. While the space is not intended for public seating, it should convey a distinct sense of place from a distance. Notable historical elements of the area, including the mid-century building, ship dry docks, the former Santa Fe Ferry line, and Miller-Knox Park, will serve as inspirational references for the artwork.

Gordon’s design is inspired by the history of Richmond, which is inexorably linked to heavy industry and transport. Situated between the San Francisco Bay and San Pablo Bay, the city became a boomtown in the early to mid-1940s as thousands of workers flocked to the city in support of the growing war economy. As such, Richmond became known as a city of grit and determination – sometimes down, but never out. It is this story, that of the city’s resilience: its citizens, its economy, and its environment, that is at the heart of Gordon’s proposal. The proposed sculpture, shaped like the bow of a boat, is made of Corten Steel.  Its rugged and dependable material and shape draws inspiration from the bows of tankers and tugs that have navigated the shipping lanes, fueling Richmond’s economy. And its finer features, laser-cut forms of infrastructure, and rivets – a nod to Rosie the Riveter and the working women of World War II – result in a concept that is decidedly rooted in Richmond’s history.