Where the Cape Fear River meets the Atlantic Ocean, the land becomes something more than geography—it becomes memory in motion. In this estuary, where freshwater and saltwater merge in tidal embrace, the natural world offers a profound metaphor for Wilmington itself: a place shaped by convergence, resilience, and renewal. Tides of Time emerges from this sacred intersection, honoring the layered histories and enduring spirit of this coastal city.

Composed entirely of stainless steel, the sculpture’s form echoes the currents of water and the sedimentary layers of time. Its surfaces are gently caressed by programmable LED lights that shift in rhythmic color, transforming the piece throughout the day and night. As the light changes, so too does the narrative—inviting passersby to reflect on the fluid nature of identity, history, and place.

This work was shaped by deep community engagement. Dozens of site visits were made to historical landmarks and cultural institutions—from Thalian Hall to local museums—to listen and learn from the spaces that hold Wilmington’s story. Conversations with the staff of Airlie Gardens offered powerful insights into the legacy of Minnie Evans, the visionary artist and spiritual gardener whose presence still resonates through the landscape she once tended. Her dreamlike interpretations of nature and the divine helped inform the sculpture’s lyrical and layered design.

While the sculpture does not depict historical figures or events directly, it opens a contemplative space—one that allows for reflection on memories of the past, and how those echoes continue to shape the present and inspire the future. The tides, like time itself, carry with them stories of triumph, struggle, and transformation. In this spirit, Tides of Time offers a quiet invitation: to honor what came before, to observe what is now, and to imagine what might still emerge.

As light dances across its stainless steel form and color pulses through its illuminated veins, the sculpture becomes a living vessel—carrying forward the memory of a place where land and water meet, and where the tide always returns.