Commissioned by both the Don Day Family and the city of McKinney Art Commission, Unity Arch, has quickly become an important element of the Texas community. Installed in a park near downtown McKinney in 2019, Unity Arch was commissioned to attract the community and visitors to the Square, although it’s been able to do far more for the entire city.
Standing at 13 feet tall and weighing over three tons, the piece was created by Ai Qiu Hopen and the Humanity Memorial Incorporated team. It features trees connected by an arch of doves in flight, but the process to finalize this idea and design was one that took the artist away from the original maquette. Doing so can be a challenge for artists, but it can also be an opportunity to create something that will be that much more meaningful to a community.
“Our original maquette was attractive to the committee, but they asked if we could make an arch instead, rising from two trees,” Hopen told The Monumentous. “Incorporating an idea from elsewhere can mean letting go of your ego, but we recognized that the arch was a great idea and would make the work better. Truth is everything in art, which is why we try to let go of our ego-attachment to the original concept whenever it’s necessary. It’s much better to collaborate with your client, so we went back to original clay image of the ‘Unity’ as an arch. We let go our ego, followed their guidance during the creative process to evolve the gateway arch more than we could have imagined and the committee was very pleased with the redesign.”
“Unity Arch is an ode to nature, but also symbolic of human freedom, aspiration and unity. The form rises up from roots connected to the ground, with plant life (tree) and animal life (doves) entwined, spiraling up toward the light and air.”
The artists envisioned the two columns of birds spiraling upward as symbols of a DNA helix. Their connection at the top in unity represents something much more profound that is tied to the unity and harmony found in nature.
These symbols are presented in obvious and subtle ways across the piece and the artists took great care to ensure audiences would be able to see and understand them. However, audiences are also encouraged to enjoy the piece at whatever level is most appropriate for them, and that recognition enables a more positive response.
“We build in a variety of concepts and symbols into all of our work, but it always happens that people see the work from their perspective and sensibilities,” Hopen continued. “We love that, because we see that as participation in the work. We want to provoke an emotional response and that doesn’t have to be an exact transcription or communication that’s tied to the concepts or symbols that we’ve built in. These pieces are meant to be seen through the lens of another consciousness. That subjective meaning is what’s great about art and it’s as important as anything we’re trying to communicate.”
Such subjective interpretations have fueled the community’s embrace of the piece. During the unveiling of Unity Arch, Mayor George Fuller complimented the work in his dedication speech, highlighting the themes of the piece as well as what it will mean to the entire McKinney community. The artists and team were on hand to witness an indication of exactly what that will look like.
“After the crowds dispersed, we saw a mother watch as her three young girls ran up to the piece and touched it all over,” Hopen said. “They climbed on the base, looked up at the sky and through the arch. One of the girls noticed the pattern made by the sun on her blouse and she said, ‘look a bird made of light is flying on me.’ It was quite a moment!”
That interaction highlights the important ways that audiences are already embracing the piece. As time goes on, Unity Arch can become an ideal meeting place for individuals or events. The piece is designed to last for many centuries, further showcasing the value that such pieces can provide to communities in the present and future.
For more information about the Humanity Memorial Inc. team’ work, please visit www.aiqiuhopen.com
Unity Arch is located in Dr. Glen Mitchell Memorial Park at 300 W. Louisiana Street in McKinney, Texas.