By Beatrice Liebrecht
On Mt. Tabor’s newly completed multi-modal trail, the South Tabor Access Trail, located at SE 64th Ave. and Division St. to Sherman St., sits a freshly completed art installation. Six poets and one artist came together to craft a joint poem and art installation which now sits on the path and will continue to change and grow along with the foliage surrounding it.
The process of this installation began in 2016 when artist Adam Kuby was invited to join the design team of Opsis Architecture and Lando and Associates, Landscape Architecture, for the Parks Replacement Bond project at Mt. Tabor Yard and the new access trail.
The project settled on a design of three sets of stones, each with poems relating to the theme of reconfiguration etched on them, all featuring a different tree in the center that will gradually shift (reconfigure) the stones’ positions. Public Art Director and Project Manager, Kristin Calhoun, then introduced Kuby to potential collaborators for the written pieces of the installation. They eventually landed on a group of six: Dao Storm, Samiya Bashir, Trevino Brings Plenty, Sam Roxas-Chua, Anis Mojgani and Stephanie Adams-Santos.
The poets were given the task of responding to the word “reconfigurations” in a short poem. Although this was the initial prompt, after meeting online and sharing a Google Doc the writers began to wander away from the strict theme of reconfigurations, exploring several different aspects of the physical element along with their fascinations. Mojgani explained, “Initially, we shared our responses to what the project was, our ideas and thoughts. Then all of us gave each other the time to write and share our pieces with each other.” They then mutually agreed to blend their pieces, forming a new poem that would later be the words scattered across the granite on the pathway.
Over the course of the collaboration, the poem came together and grew. With no dominant voice, the poets all created and all the voices dissolved, with themes emerging from all six of them. Displacement, diaspora and the relationship of time, especially the stones being a message to the future and the past, were all explored in the poem.
The themes of longevity and the relationship of time was central in the writers’ process. The stones on which the words were laid have a long history, coming from an aquarium in eastern Oregon, and the writers were fascinated by it. They focused on the actual journey of the material, the crystals and worked on addressing the stones.
Looking into the future as well, this installation has a long-standing aspect. These words will stick around. But time will change them. If a tree falls on the rocks, they may crack. Where do they crack? How does that language differ from what the poets wrote? These are things the poets considered when writing the poem.
The trees placed alongside the three stones are all different—an Amelanchier grove which will not grow tall, the next is a Sequoia, a tree known for becoming very big over many years, and finally an Incense Cedar, a tree near and dear to Kuby.
Following the completion of the written portion, Kuby arranged the words and phrases separated by the poets in a diagram of how they potentially would fall on the rock. Conversations were had discussing how they would place certain things now that they had the shape of the surface available to them.
The next step began in the winter of 2023, when the words were blasted into the granite. The rocks all look different, one with a crack and another with sharp edges, meaning placing words and pieces of the poem had plenty of intention.
Collaboration was a major part of this multi-year project for all involved. Mojgani appreciated working with his peers, finding it motivational in a sense, “It can be hard to not be in control of everything, but I think it really grows you as a person.”
Calhoun had the same outlook on the project, as she put her trust in both Kuby and the other poets. “Collaboration is, for me, one of the most exciting things about working in the public realm,” she explained. “Sometimes it doesn’t work. It can be hard. Sometimes it’s really hard,” she continued. “The fact that it had such a long path might have helped that. The passion and dedication in this installation may go unnoticed by some. But the work behind the scenes is full of heart and, of course, a lot of time—years, even.”
Despite the path being open to the public for a few months, the unveiling of this public artwork at Mt. Tabor took place on July 31. Four of the six poets were able to attend and speak, along with almost everyone else involved. Kuby opened the installation with a passion felt across the audience. “I want to thank our six talented writers. I’m so honored that you wanted to collaborate with me on this piece. You know, it’s been a long time, but hopefully these stones and trees and your words will be here for a very, very long time. And so I like to think of projects like these as a bottle of wine that’s just been poured, and it’s just going to get better with age, [just] as trees evolve and grow.”
Art installation on Mt. Tabor’s multi-modal trail. Photo by Beatrice Liebrecht.
