The City of Anacortes dedicated a new Library in January, 2003.

In the open center of the building, I built several pieces for the free standing staircase. Acting as giant newell posts, the four alphabet columns flank the stairs at the top and bottom. Lacy openwork columns constructed of hundreds of individual alphabet letters that culminate in an open book. They are 12 feet tall at the bottom of the stairs and 9 feet tall at the top.

Underneath the stairs is the Forest of Books, an undulating fence made up of fantastic stalks of metal, twisted and textured and covered with alphabet letters like leaves.

All of the pieces are powder coated in a textured bronze color with hand painted alphabet letters in copper, brass and gold.

All of the components are forged from hot steel, giving the pieces a plastic, clay-like appearance. The steel is twisted and pinched, textured and curved into branches and leaves, stems and ribbons.

Commissioned by the City of Anacortes.