Tucson-based visual artist Stephen Fairfield created 'Global Harmony' for the city's Gateway Park as the result of a national call to mark the 10th anniversary of Roanoke's public art program. Fairfield designed the monumental sculpture with the intention of "expressing Roanoke's valuing of diversity and its importance to the local community, the city, and ultimately on a global basis."

The 18-foot sculpture comprises a stainless steel globe atop a large arm, wrapped in a ribbon of smaller hands and extending from the earth. Fairfield configured this work to be both realistic and expressionistic. "The message is clear," he says. "It is only through the world's populations joining together to do their share of supporting the planet that we will even approach the ideal of global harmony."

Fairfield has previously been featured twice in Roanoke's temporary sculpture exhibitions. He is the lead artist and founder of New Media Public Art Collective. Check out his website at newmediasculpture.com

Sourced from:
Information from the dedication pamphlet of "Global Harmony."