Artwork copyright Steve Gardner. Photo courtesy of the artist.

Artwork copyright Steve Gardner. Photo courtesy of the artist.

Artwork copyright Steve Gardner. Photo courtesy of the artist.

Artwork copyright Steve Gardner. Photo courtesy of the artist.

Artwork copyright Steve Gardner. Photo courtesy of the artist (detail).

Artwork copyright Steve Gardner. Photo courtesy of the artist (detail).

Where Will You Go?, 2010

Steve Gardner
American (born 1968)

Location: Pasco High School, Pasco

About the Artwork

Artist Steve Gardner's Where Will You Go? focuses on the symbolic journey that students make during and after high school. Two figures in a boat travel down a river -- while one pours out water, creating their path and giving life to the dry land, the other gazes upwards at the stars to navigate. Overhead and around them, the sky is filled with a semi-circular galaxy of blue glass castings that are like stars in the turning night sky, as well as lines of text on a page. All of the glass elements contain cast relief imagery of learning: formulas, drawings, and text, chosen with the Pasco High School faculty. The imagery also refers to the Columbia River which is at the center of the city of Pasco's identity and existence. The river was and is a source of transportation, food, and life in Southern Washington. The river is a symbolic path that leads out of the circle of stars, implying that the journey is boundless.

This artwork was acquired for the State Art Collection in partnership with Pasco School District.

About the Artist

Seattle-based artist Steve Gardner creates relief and free-standing sculptures out of architectural terra cotta clay and other materials. His artworks often focus on the human figure, surface pattern, and a sense of story.
Gardner received his Bachelor of Arts degree in art and biology from St. Olaf College in Minnesota and his Master of Fine Arts degree in ceramics from Central Washington University in Ellensburg.