Last updated: April 6, 2021
Place
"Stele for the Merrimack" Sculpture
Like Lowell
Quick Facts
Location:
Suffolk Mill Trolley Stop, Lowell Massachusetts
Amenities
1 listed
Historical/Interpretive Information/Exhibits
A stele is an upright monuement, often marking a special locaiton or event. This piece highlights the life-giving impact of the Merrimack River, the major river in Lowell. The bronze column is adorned with animals, plants, and humans, who all rely on the Merrimack. Designs of fish, otter, and heron are interspered with figures of indigenous peoples and mill workers.
Towards the base of the sculpture are the curved fins of a turbine, representing the importance of the river in Lowell's industrial past. Water flowing through nearby canals would turn turbine, powering the machinery in the factory. Today you can see a historic turbine at the Suffolk Mill Turbine Exhibit at the Wannalancit Mill.
Born in 1934, Peter Gourfain is well known for his sculptures and printmaking. A graduate of the Chicago Art Institute, Gourfain has taught at schools all around the country, including the Rhode Island School of Design, Massachusetts College of Art, and Kent State University. His works appear in museums such as the Museum of Modern Art, Guggenheim, and American Craft Museum.
Site: Suffolk Mill Trolley Stop
Artist: Peter Gourfain
Materials: Bronze, Granite
Towards the base of the sculpture are the curved fins of a turbine, representing the importance of the river in Lowell's industrial past. Water flowing through nearby canals would turn turbine, powering the machinery in the factory. Today you can see a historic turbine at the Suffolk Mill Turbine Exhibit at the Wannalancit Mill.
Born in 1934, Peter Gourfain is well known for his sculptures and printmaking. A graduate of the Chicago Art Institute, Gourfain has taught at schools all around the country, including the Rhode Island School of Design, Massachusetts College of Art, and Kent State University. His works appear in museums such as the Museum of Modern Art, Guggenheim, and American Craft Museum.
Site: Suffolk Mill Trolley Stop
Artist: Peter Gourfain
Materials: Bronze, Granite