Aquileans

Aquileans is a series of sculptures for the Juneau Waterfront whose origins lie in archetypes of the Alaskan landscape. Its main images are drawn from two ecological characters whose spirits have long guided the people of this land: Aquila, the Latin word for eagle, and cetacean, an order of marine animals including the whale. Joined in form as Aquileans, they evoke iconic images of Alaska such as a whale fluke breaking the water’s surface and an eagle soaring above, embodying the sea and the sky. Using former bollards once used to moor cruise ships as foundations, the sculptures bring the nautical architecture of the Port of Juneau into dialogue with the waterfront setting. Against mountains and ocean, they create a new promenade for Juneau’s citizens, welcome visitors arriving by sea, give the waterfront a recognizable character, add a contemporary ambiance to the city’s social and economic life, and form a significant urban edge where Alaska’s Capital City meets the water.

Juneau, Alaska · United States