Documenting the American South

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Commemorative Landscapes of North Carolina
Commemorative Landscapes of North Carolina
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Source: The Gift, UNC Chapel Hill

  • Monument Name

    The Gift, UNC, Chapel Hill

  • Type

    Public Space

  • Subjects

    American Indian Monuments

  • Creator

    Señora Lynch, Artist, Unspecified

  • City

    Chapel Hill

  • County

    Orange

  • Description

    "The Gift," composed in a staggered pattern typical of beadwork but rendered in colored brick on a massive scale, depicts traditional southeastern Native American life symbols such as turtles, eagle feathers, ears of corn, mountains, and water. The artwork is roughly 240 feet long and 40 feet wide.

  • Custodian

    UNC Chapel Hill

  • Dedication Date

    April 20, 2004

  • Decade

    2000s

  • Geographic Coordinates

    35.910050 , -79.047760

  • Supporting Sources

      "American Indian Blessing, Dance, to be Part of Art Dedication at UNC," UNC News, (accessed April 2, 2012) Link

      "The Gift," The Carolina Story: A Virtual Museum of University History, (accessed April 3, 2012) Link

      "The Gift," The Carolina Story: A Virtual Museum of University History, (accessed April 3, 2012) Link

  • Public Site

    Yes

  • Materials & Techniques

    Brick

  • Monument Dedication and Unveiling

    The monument and its creator were honored at 12:15 pm on April 20, 2004. Greg Richardson, executive director of the North Carolina Commission of Indian Affairs, spoke. Derek Oxendine, a UNC junior who was president of the student group Carolina Indian Circle, also spoke and burned sacred herbs.

  • Subject Notes

    The monument contains images of turtles, eagle feathers, ears of corn, mountains, and water. A plaque near the monument explains the symbolism behind each image.

  • Orientation

    "The Gift" is in the Student Union Walkway, between the Student Union and Davis Library.

  • Landscape

    The artwork makes up the walkway along side the Frank Porter Graham Student Union

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