Spring always brings revitalizing changes to The North Carolina Arboretum, and this season, one of these is the installation of a magnificent addition to the arboretum’s art collection. “Sacred Earth” by Cherokee Nation sculptor Karen Sixkiller features a larger-than-life water beetle perched on a large, faceted form and can now be seen along the walkways of the Stream Garden.
“Sacred Earth” tells one of the oldest Cherokee stories — when a humble water beetle dove to the bottom of the ocean and brought up mud to create all the solid land we now live on. Sixkiller shares that the sculpture was inspired both by the Cherokee creation story and her own feelings of appreciation and reverence for the land that ultimately feeds, clothes, shelters and makes our lives possible.
The sculpture was dedicated in memory of Joan Sandgren Bridges, whose family chose the arboretum for this unique tribute. The gardens, her family notes, were a special place for her and she visited often during her 30 years in Asheville.