Raleigh – Mostly True

The Shimmer Wall, Raleigh, NC

Raleigh, North Carolina is known as “the City of Oaks.” The Shimmer Wall, on the west wall of the Raleigh Convention Center, honors the city’s nickname.

One of Raleigh’s most visible works of art since 2009, the Shimmer Wall is a massive 210′ by 44′ and is made up of over 79,000 4″ aluminum square “pixels” that move with the wind and cause a shimmering effect. It’s quite mesmerizing to watch.

Shimmer Wall

At night, LED fixtures aid in the shimmering effect. The colors of the lights change with the season. It’s quite beautiful, whether you view it during the daytime, as pictured above, or at night, when the colored lights turn it into something entirely different.

Rodan Garden, NC Art Museum

When the Iris and B. Gerald Cantor Foundation donated 30 works by french sculptor Auguste Rodan to the North Carolina Art Museum in Raleigh, it gave the museum the largest collection of works by Rodan between Philadelphia and the West Coast.

The Rodan Garden, outside the West Building, is a beautiful place to sit and enjoy the sculptures. The reflecting pond, with its lily pads, are quite beautiful. An added benefit is the garden rarely has more than one or two people, so you can enjoy the day in peace.

Rodan Garden

Ulalu, NC Art Museum

Ulalu is one of two sculptures by abstract artist Mark di Suvero in the North Carolina Art Museum Park. Di Suvero makes huge works of art using a crane and an arc welder. Steel H-beams and plates are his material of choice. Di Suvero was the first living artist to have his art shown in the Tuileries Gardens in Paris.

It amazes me how a material like huge steel beams can become such a beautiful work of art. The sculptures are huge but still are quite beautiful. Ulalu sits along the road running beside the museum and is a wonderful attraction for the art museum.

Ulalu 2

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