“Fortitude” was originally installed in 2011 as part of Art on Main, a rotating outdoor sculpture exhibition integrating the sculptures of artists from the Southeast region with the streetscapes of Chattanooga's bustling Main Street. The sculpture was permanently acquired for the collection in 2013.

ARTIST STATEMENT:
"This is a white oak leaf made of steel. It is part of a series that focuses on encompassing space with industrial materials and natural forms. The series of leaves started with the discovery of a large nut and bolt found in a local scrapyard and a passion to transform industrial objects. I am captivated by human curiosity within nature. It is a limitless subject. We are forever becoming more familiar with ourselves and our surroundings. The space where we end and another begins is still a part of us. Do we ever end? The negative space this form creates is as much part of the sculpture as the material. This piece describes that. It is an evolving porthole. Is it the past, or the future? Are we ever in the present? Nothing will always be something." -Mark Krucke