5′ 5″ w x 4′ 6″ h
My parents Lotte & Seymour Meyerson, who lived for several years at Deerfield Retirement Community in Asheville, NC before they died, were planning for their 70th wedding anniversary. Wanting to honor their own long, remarkable history together and Deerfield’s wonderful facilities and services, they commissioned me to create a wall sculpture for the Community Center. The administration gave its blessings. When I read Deerfield’s mission statement, I got inspired to portray it in sculptural form. Deerfield offered a large wall visible to everyone on their way to the dining room. My folks and the administration approved my sketch immediately. (That usually doesn’t happen quite that fast!)
Residents’ comments overheard near sculpture:
This is an amazing piece!…..How many different woods are there? I understand she uses no stain……This is perfect for this wall! What a wonderful gift…..I see that the big hands clasped in the center have different skin colors; I like that…..Every time I come by here I discover something new……Hey–that’s my hand playing the piano!…..Did you notice that some of the piano keys are depressed?…..I like the feet and shoes on the bottom; I can see myself in them……This really captures a lot of what goes on at Deerfield ……This is phenomenal! I have never seen anything like this.
A staff member: Every day I look at this wonderful piece of art.
A Board member: This sculpture shows all the wonderful things Deerfield offers.
Comment from my parents:
We are delighted with the response. It is placed in a prominent spot where a lot of people pass. The most universal reaction is “This is amazing!” Then people place themselves in the various functions portrayed in the sculpture and keep discovering new ones. It really honors the place in which we live.