The City of Asheville, along with the Public Art and Culture Commission and Urban Trail Committee, are excited to announce the installation and dedication of a new piece of public art. The sculpture, titled Fluvial, was designed, fabricated and will be installed by metal worker Rachel David with Red Metal. Functioning as both public art and seating, the piece will be alongside the existing outdoor dining area in front of the historic S&W Building, next to The Times Bar & Coffee. Fluvial reimagines and replaces the long vacant Station #7 on the Urban Trail and is inspired by Art Deco architecture, Douglas Ellington’s S&W Building and David’s unique artistry.
A portion of the sidewalk and one lane of traffic at 56 Patton Avenue will be closed the morning of Tuesday, November 11 to accommodate installation of the new artwork.
The piece will be draped after installation until the dedication/unveiling ceremony on Thursday, November 13 at 1:00 p.m. The public is invited and light refreshments will be available.
Commissioning the Piece
A call for artists went out in April, 2024 for a new piece of art to reimagine and replace Station 7 on the Urban Trail. A competitive process included a panel of Public Art and Culture Commission members and community stakeholders which resulted in Rachel David’s concept being selected. In July 2024, the Public Art and Culture Commission recommended the city move forward with David’s concept. Staff has been working with the community and the artist through the design, fabrication and installation process.
Artists Carleton Collins and James Barnhill designed the original Art Deco Masterpiece that made up Station 7 of the Urban Trail and was funded by Mrs. Camille Roberts. The large 4 ft x 7 ft mosaic marker was constructed in Venice, Italy, and shipped to Asheville where it was originally embedded into the sidewalk. Over time, water and foot traffic began to damage the mosaic and it was removed from the sidewalk and mounted to an exterior facade at 1 Haywood Street. Several years later, the building went through upgrades to accommodate new tenants and the City was asked to remove the artwork. The piece remained in storage for many years, even surviving Helene floodwaters, while city staff and the Urban Trail Committee worked to find a new home for the artwork on city-owned property. Public art funds were dedicated to the reinstallation effort and several locations and mock-ups were explored, however, all were ruled out due to visibility, safety, available City property, or conflicts with utilities. In mid-2023 staff and the Public Art and Culture Commission began the process to create a brand new piece of artwork that would better fit within available public space and keep the S&W Building in view. Plans are in the works to find a safe, indoor location for the original mosaic and more information will be shared when those plans are finalized.
The Urban Trail Story
Planning for The Urban Trail began in 1989 with the goal to commemorate the historical and cultural moments and individuals that shaped the Asheville we know today, while also activating spaces and encouraging visitors to come downtown. In 1992, volunteer residents, artists and designers formed The Urban Trail Committee. The group worked with City staff for the next 10 years to install the 30 artworks along the 1.7 mile trail with almost all of the pieces funded by private donors. The final piece of art, Walk into History, was installed in May 2002. The City of Asheville officially accepted the 30 pieces into its public art inventory and since then, station artworks have been moved, refreshed, and maintained by the City in coordination with the Public Art and Culture Commission and volunteers with The Urban Trail Committee. In 2017, the trail was updated with new branding along with an interactive website and map hosted by Explore Asheville as part of a partnership with the Asheville Downtown Association Foundation. In 2021, the City held a re-dedication ceremony for 3 of the trail’s newly updated stations.