The town of Davidson, North Carolina, has become an open-air museum of sorts. Between the campus art at Davidson College and the public arts project supported by the town itself, there are many opportunities to enjoy beautiful and thought-provoking works merely by walking around the area.

The latest addition to the “museum” is a wonderful sculpture, “Common Ground,” by North Carolina environmental artist Patrick Dougherty, who is known all over the world for his “stick art.” The sculpture was dedicated on February 20, 2020.

I already loved Dougherty’s work before I knew his name—he created the piece, “Out of the Box,” which graces the wall in Iris, the restaurant in the North Carolina Museum of Art in Raleigh.

If you are interested, there is a documentary about Dougherty called Bending Sticks. (Trailer)

Dougherty worked with Davidson College students to create the piece, which will remain at the college until 2022.

I visited the sculpture late today as the sun was beginning to set. It is MASSIVE, with “rooms” and tunnels and “windows.” You really have to see and walk through/around it in person to fully appreciate the beauty and artistry of it. If you are in the area, don’t miss it!

[NOTE: As always, the artist retains all rights to his work. I post these photos merely to encourage people to come out and enjoy the piece and to educate themselves about Mr. Dougherty’s stunning body of work.]