The overall theme of this design is one of renewed hope. The visual imagery delivered by the sculpture spans decades of
Greenville's history, just as the banner itself spans the width of
Brown Street. Four distinct elements of our sculpture deserve to be called out, for in each is forged a distinct visual chapter of the story told by this unique piece. The pedestals, the stanchions, the frame, and the banner are four characters that interact in a dramatic performance of this epic tale which is "The Fabric of Hope."
The Stanchions
The smokestack stanchions were inspired by the textile mills, the prevalence of which once caused
Greenville to be known as the textile center of the South. In particular, our vision came from the soaring twin spires depicted below which stood their stoic watch over F.W. Poe Manufacturing's
Greenville mill for many decades.
Sadly, these statuesque symbols of commerce have gone cold since the demise of the textile industry. Their once-proud smokestacks have been reduced to colossal planters, as pictured in the photo to the right, taken years after the Poe plant was destroyed by fire. Sprouts of idle vegetation have replaced the rising smoke that once symbolized productivity and livelihood for Greenville's residents.
Our design reflects this tragic decline with metal vine-work emerging quietly from the top of the once mighty smokestacks and cascading lazily in gentle spirals down their slowly disintegrating walls.
But the vine-work also represents the spawning of new life, springing up where it was not intended or ever expected. This is the hope of renewal and regeneration - a seed that has been miraculously carried by the wind to the most unlikely place to germinate and take root. It is the human spirit having found a way to survive against incalculable odds!
This is
Brown Street.
The Pedestals
The backbone of any geographic region is not its industry or its natural resources. The true foundation is the fabric of its people. And the people of the Upstate are strong, resilient, and proud. This is reflected in the design of our stanchion's pedestal bases.
They depict panels of woven metal - visually reminiscent of the textiles of the past, but now symbolic of the unbreakable spirit of the people of the Upstate.
This is the soul of our community in which her people - without regard to race, religion, or social status - are woven together into a cohesive layer of human strength and character. Upon this cornerstone stands our sculpture.
The Frame
For the frame for our arch, we chose to work in the Art Nouveau style. This adds a fun, funky, folksy feel to the sculpture. At each end of the frame is a key element where the story transitions from the historic past to the hope of the present and leaps forward to the promise of the future.
The demise of the Upstate's textile industry was a crushing blow to its residents, but it was not a mortal wound.
Ribbons of hope buoyantly rise and wave from our stanchions, like the smoke that once billowed from the structures they depict. These are new technologies, new industries, and new directions. This "new smoke" is the new life - the new hope of the Upstate. And upon this hope floats
Brown Street's banner of promise.
The Banner
The banner proudly announces the entrance to the Brown Street District. Its particular design was inspired by the facade of the Textile Hall building, depicted below as it appeared in about 1958.
Our design, illustrated below, employs a conservative, traditional lettering style within a frame that is all fun and fancy.
What exactly is the intent of these visually contrasting styles? It is to suggest that almost anything might be encountered within the boundaries of
Brown Street. It could be the home of a distinguished architectural firm or a stylish dress shop; a beauty salon or a Jazz Club; a medical clinic or an art gallery; a small deli or a fancy, upscale eatery. Its look is fresh and inviting, suggesting that it is a place just as well suited for a celebration as it is for a leisurely stroll. This is
Greenville's Brown Street District.
Summary of Theme and Description
Our sculpture - "The Fabric of Hope" - tells the story of hope, woven through the fabric of the strong people of the Upstate. The eyes of every passerby will be invited to follow the story - drawn to view it from the bottom up.
First; the foundation - the strength of Upstate residents woven collectively into indestructible fabric, as depicted in our pedestals.
Then; the history - the textile industry with the life and livelihood it provided, as illustrated by our ascending smokestack stanchions.
Next; the decline of that very industry upon which so many fortunes had been built, as portrayed by our lazy cascade of metal vine-work, and the foliage of promise! New life, new growth, new hope.
And finally; the fulfillment of our modern city through the realization of its hope for the future, as represented in our Art Nouveau frame and its bold yet simple banner.
Who could resist such a welcoming invitation to take a walk down
Brown Street?
"The Fabric of Hope" narrative by Jon Gardner, Heirloom Stair and Iron
