Moon Gate: Sculpture adds Medical District to downtown Huntsville’s Public Art Trail

HUNTSVILLE – Soaring some 21 feet high and 25 feet wide outside Huntsville Hospital, it’s hard not to miss the latest piece in Arts Huntsville’s Public Art Trail.

“Moon Gate” is a creation of Huntsville artist Glenn Dasher and connects the Medical District with the popular downtown Public Art Trail.

The piece, which was unveiled Thursday, was commissioned by the family of the late Olin B. King and gifted to Huntsville Hospital.

King was the founder of SCI Systems, which was at the forefront of Huntsville’s transition from a cotton capital to the Rocket City.

Dasher said he worked to create a piece that symbolizes the ingenuity and exploration of Huntsville, uniquely combining its past, present and future.

He said he began developing his idea for the design more than 20 years ago. It started with the acquisition of limestone columns that were salvaged when then-Parkway City Mall was demolished in 2002.

“These wonderful columns reminded me of an old city,” he said. “They became my starting point for telling the story about this remarkable place, its people, and the unique events that sent humans into space, to the Moon, and beyond. This small Southern mill town became America’s gateway to outer space, and has never stopped evolving in its role as a leader in research, technology, and now the arts.

“In its quest for modernization, through all of its various manifestations, Huntsville has never lost its beauty, warmth, and Southern charm. It is like no other place I know of, and this sculpture is my effort to pay tribute to that.”

The columns combine with stainless steel in a display that will provide a respite for Huntsville Hospital patients, families, employees, and the community.

“As I have worked on the piece, I’ve considered what people might think about what I have done — to have their imaginations piqued, to reflect, and to realize what a privilege it is to live in such an important place to humankind’s exploration of the cosmos,” Dasher said.

Additions such as this and the expansion of the Public Art Trail are goals for the city of Huntsville as part of its Public Art Master Plan.

“Public art enlivens our everyday spaces and provides an opportunity to interact with art as you go through your day, and Huntsville’s public art landscape has the capacity to grow exponentially with the generosity of donors like the King family and partners like Huntsville Hospital,” said Arts Huntsville Executive Director Allison Dillon-Jauken. “One of the goals of the Huntsville Public Art Master Plan is to infuse our public spaces with artwork that lifts the spirit and engages the mind, and Glenn Dasher’s artwork at Huntsville Hospital will provide that moment of beauty and engagement for patients, family members, and employees.”