{"id":25011,"date":"2024-09-25T16:09:51","date_gmt":"2024-09-25T20:09:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/design.ncsu.edu\/graphic-design\/2024\/09\/25\/memorializing-flooding-how-a-chance-collaboration-led-to-a-landmark-public-art-project\/"},"modified":"2025-09-09T11:15:10","modified_gmt":"2025-09-09T15:15:10","slug":"memorializing-flooding-how-a-chance-collaboration-led-to-a-landmark-public-art-project","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/design.ncsu.edu\/graphic-design\/2024\/09\/25\/memorializing-flooding-how-a-chance-collaboration-led-to-a-landmark-public-art-project\/","title":{"rendered":"Memorializing Flooding: How a Chance Collaboration Led to a Landmark Public Art Project"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n\n\n

Alumni William H. Dodge [M.Arch. \u201812] and Lincoln Hancock [MGD \u201810] first began their professional relationship in 2012 after working together with NC State Libraries Exhibition Designer Molly Renda. In 2019, Renda invited Dodge, who recruited Hancock and his wife Mollie Earls [BAD \u201803] to collaborate on their ongoing land art project \u2018From Teosinte to Tomorrow,\u2019 a project for the Gregg Museum of Art & Design\u2019s exhibition \u201cArt\u2019s Work in the Age of Biotechnology.<\/a>\u201d Later, Hancock and Dodge joined forces with Dodge\u2019s good friend and frequent collaborator, Philadelphia-based landscape architect Will Belcher, to expand the scope of projects they could tackle. They founded A Gang of Three<\/a>, a multidisciplinary arts and arts planning practice in 2020. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAt the time I was leading a major architecture practice and Lincoln was doing public art installations and serving on the Raleigh public art and design board,\u201d Dodge said. Dodge had been on the public art selection committee for the new Raleigh Civic Tower, one of the largest public art projects in the history of North Carolina. Getting the chance to be on the other side of the selection committee, and better understand that process, \u201cit was clear that if we teamed up and pulled our collective portfolios together, we could have a great chance at winning our own large-scale projects in the future. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI was doing work that was more ephemeral,\u201d said Hancock. \u201cWe have different but complementary skill sets, so I was interested in how we might collaborate and work together. From there, it\u2019s been about looking for opportunities and building upon them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The first project they were selected for was an opportunity to create an \u201ceducational display\u201d about the floodplain at Crabtree Creek. The resulting award-winning project, \u201cAlluvial Decoder,\u201d tells the story of fifty years of flooding at the site. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alluvial Decoder: A Public Art Installation<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n
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\"Photo
Photo by Keith Isaacs<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Image by Negin Naseri<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/section>\n\n\n\n\n
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image \u00a9 Keith Isaacs Photo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/section>\n\n\n\n\n

For logistical reasons, Alluvial Decoder<\/a> was originally funded as an \u201ceducational display\u201d by the City of Raleigh’s Stormwater Management Division. However, the project quickly evolved into something much more profound. The installation is located alongside Crabtree Creek, a site notorious for flooding, and it visually represents the history and impact of these floods. Using color-coded storm markers and environmental graphics, the installation offers a visceral experience for viewers, allowing them to comprehend the scale of flooding events that have shaped the area.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt was an interesting opportunity at a site that William and I were both really familiar with, having grown up nearby,\u201d said Hancock. The team developed their initial ideas for the project in consultation with Raleigh Arts and Raleigh Stormwater. \u201cAs a designer and artist, I don\u2019t see a hard line between work that\u2019s expressive and artistic and work that\u2019s systematic and intentional.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Personal Connections and Community Impact<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The project holds deep personal significance for the team. They recruited longtime friend Luke Buchanan [BEDA \u201802] to help create a mural that is integral to the project. Buchanan and Dodge first met in 1996 at the funeral of their mutual childhood friend, Jackson Griffin, who drowned in the flooding at Lassiter Mill in the aftermath of Hurricane Fran\u2014a direct result of flooding at Crabtree Creek. After unsuccessfully trying to pull his friend to safety, Buchanan had to be rescued from the water himself by a bystander. Poignantly, Buchanan and Dodge completed the mural together on the 25th anniversary of their friend\u2019s death.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This personal history\u2014combined with Dodge\u2019s urban planning and exhibition experience, Belcher\u2019s landscape architecture expertise, and Hancock\u2019s longstanding involvement in public art and installation\u2014informed the team\u2019s approach to the project. The team wanted the installation to resonate with the community, both as a reminder of the dangers of flooding and as a celebration of resilience, all while inviting new visitors to explore a previously underutilized portion of the greenway.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Challenges and Innovations<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Designing “Alluvial Decoder” presented unique challenges, particularly the need to create a durable installation that could withstand the severe flooding that it was meant to depict. The project was also notable for its budget constraints. With only $50,000 to cover nearly two acres, the team had to be creative, leveraging their skills and networks to deliver a project that would typically require a significantly larger budget. The result is a dynamic installation consisting of a reinstituted native meadow, the aforementioned decoder mural, and 25 vertical storm markers, representing various flood events via their height\u2014all of which transform the site into an immersive experience, educating the public while also serving as a poignant memorial.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Diagram
Diagram by A Gang of Three<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe were able to cover two acres and create a meaningful project that typically would cost hundreds of thousands if not millions of dollars,\u201d said Dodge. \u201cWe wanted this to be the best project it could be, and we were personally invested in its success,\u201d added Hancock. \u201cSo every penny from the project budget went to materials and installation \u2014 we didn\u2019t pay ourselves for our work as artists or contractors.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2018Alluvial Decoder\u2019 is more than just a public art project; it is a testament to the power of collaboration and the importance of community-focused design. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBy using markers that are visible from surrounding roads, we are expanding awareness of the site, and drawing in people who might not know about its history. We want to peel back the layers of what\u2019s happening there for those who may just be using the path for recreation. And we really wanted to engage the greenway system in Raleigh. It\u2019s such a great resource but isn\u2019t yet widely used for art or educational moments,\u201d said Hancock. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Both reflected on how the space they were designing could be dry one day and completely inundated with water the next. \u201cThe project is designed to flood. It can happen in an instant, with people walking their dogs or jogging, finding the path underwater in minutes if a flash flood hits,\u201d said Dodge. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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