This all stainless steel sculpture by artist Timothy Higgins has a cartographic feel and stands 14 feet tall with a base of 8 feet. It was commissioned by Meridian Township to encourage economic development (with the idea that art can help beautify even the most basic of public spaces) and to add to the cultural integrity of the community of Okemos. The piece recognizes the township’s geographic location along the Michigan Meridian, the north-south baseline by which the state was surveyed in the 19th century.
Easiest seen when taking a cruise around the roundabout, this sculpture is more than an art piece to be admired by visitors. It is a declaration that public art matters and that it can help cultivate economically and culturally rich communities.