Merging (Cleveland, Ohio) | fountain, sculpture, granite, stairs / steps

 fountain, sculpture, granite, stairs / steps

Merging, installed in 1985-86, dedicated on May 2, 1987, at Case-Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio. Artist: Athena Tacha.

Merging is a large(8 x 71 x 83 ft), stepped pyramidal waterfall sculpture constructed of poured concrete sheathed in blue and red granite. It is composed of two distinct halves which are neither symmetrically oriented, nor similar in function. The northern half is the "dry" side and is sheathed in red granite from Missouri. The southern half is the "wet" side and is sheathed in blue granite from Mount Rushmore. The step pyramidal form allows for pedestrian traffic on the "dry" northern side while water spills over the broad terraces of the southern side. The overall effect is one of a union of two equal, but different parts which together create a new form.

The waterfall sculpture is symbolic of several ideas including the merging of the Case Institute of Technology with Western Reserve University, and the later addition of the Women's College, all centered around the Mather Quadrangle.

putnamcollection.org/Tacha/Merging
bluffton.edu/~sullivanm/ohio/cleveland/tacha/tacha.html
virtualglobetrotting.com/map/merging-by-athena-tacha/vi...