Client: University of Pennsylvania

Thing With Feathers is one of the winning projects in the University of Pennsylvania’s Monument for Hope Design Competition.

Inspired by Emily Dickinson’s poem: ‘Hope’ is the thing with feathers. This 15-foot-tall art installation will become a collection of hope, gathering statements about hope from faculty, staff, students, and alumni of Penn.

The surface of the installation will use a dynamic kinetic wind design, allowing it to flutter in the wind like feathers.

Lastly, the form and color of the bird-like installation are inspired by the creative integration of the most iconic bird species in the Atlantic Flyway, symbolizing Penn’s vision of spreading hope to the world through the flyway.