Artist Jonathan Cox (left) and assistants including Jeff Pierson (third from left), director of public art in ÂÒÂ×ÄÚÉä, hang the largest of the seven metal beams that are part of Cox’s art installation, Riverflow, located at Slack Plaza in downtown ÂÒÂ×ÄÚÉä on Tuesday, May 6, 2025. The piece was officially dedicated Wednesday.
Artist Jonathan Cox (right) prepares a Blenko glass slab for installation on his sculpture with help from assistant Marcus Greene at Slack Plaza, in downtown ÂÒÂ×ÄÚÉä, on April 28, 2025.
Artist Jonathan Cox applies the finishing touches of epoxy to metal rods used to hang a metal section of his art installation, called Riverflow, at Slack Plaza in downtown ÂÒÂ×ÄÚÉä on Tuesday, May 6, 2025.
Artist Jonathan Cox (left) and assistants including Jeff Pierson (third from left), director of public art in ÂÒÂ×ÄÚÉä, hang the largest of the seven metal beams that are part of Cox’s art installation, Riverflow, located at Slack Plaza in downtown ÂÒÂ×ÄÚÉä on Tuesday, May 6, 2025. The piece was officially dedicated Wednesday.
Riverflow, a sculpture created by former Marshall University sculpting professor Jonathan Cox, is located on the living wall at City Center at Slack Plaza. According to a news release from the city, the piece is “designed to evoke the [Kanawha] river’s flowing movement as a metaphor for life’s continuous journey.â€
“Riverflow is a piece that has transformed the space and has made it possible to see beyond the abstract to the viewer’s interpretation,†said Jeff Pierson, the director of the city’s Office of Public Art. “The inclusion of Blenko glass makes the work distinctly ours.â€
The sculpture, which took Cox about seven months to create, features three circular rings — comprised of 75 total pieces of 1-inch-thick Blenko glass — that accent seven stainless-steel horizontal forms that vary in length between 8 and about 20 feet.
Artist Jonathan Cox applies the finishing touches of epoxy to metal rods used to hang a metal section of his art installation, called Riverflow, at Slack Plaza in downtown ÂÒÂ×ÄÚÉä on Tuesday, May 6, 2025.
Riverflow is the fourth Cox-designed piece in ÂÒÂ×ÄÚÉä, joining works on display at the CAMC Cancer Center and at the ÂÒÂ×ÄÚÉä Coliseum & Convention Center.
“Riverflow was challenging and exciting to bring to life for the vibrant gathering space of City Center at Slack Plaza,†Cox said. “I’m grateful to the city of ÂÒÂ×ÄÚÉä and to the Briar Hills Garden Club for their vision and for their support of public art.â€
Artist Jonathan Cox (right) prepares a Blenko glass slab for installation on his sculpture with help from assistant Marcus Greene at Slack Plaza, in downtown ÂÒÂ×ÄÚÉä, on April 28, 2025.
CHRIS DORST | Gazette-Mail
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