Wall Mosaics

History behind the Wall

Kevin Marion of Fuller Architecture, creator of the wall mosaics, themed his design on the historic art and culture of the Yadkin Valley region and its earliest inhabitants, members of the clans of the Cherokee tribe.

 

The top border of the wall mosaic represents the rolling hills and valley of the Yadkin Valley region. The blue undulating band represents the Trail of Tears and the Yadkin river.

 

The 7-pointed star represents the seven clans of the Cherokee. Each clan is associated with specific colors and characteristics. One aspect is that they are not to intermarry between clans. 

 

The 7-pointed star is used in the Great Seal of the Cherokee. The white gray and black tiles surrounding the blue band represent the natural dualities in the culture, similar to the concept of Yin and Yang.

The individual glass tiles of uniform color that are scattered around the seven glass "shards" total 400, each representing 10 people for a total of 4,000 - the estimate of how many of the 15,000 relocated Cherokees perished on the Trail of Tears.

 

The scattering of seven glass shards across the mural expresses each clan's individual existence within the Cherokee tribe. A second layer of meaning behind the shards is the spread of artistic influence throughout the Yadkin Valley region.
 

The water feature represents the Yadkin River itself, bringing life and vitality to the region.