Civic Plaza, MD
Wayne K. Curry Administration Building
Plurality
Series No. 07 - 09
The Perennials in the Butterfly Garden is a site specific installation created for Civic Plaza, where sculptures rise from the landscape like surreal sprouts reclaiming the earth, celebrating nature, ancestry, and cultural vitality. Made of recycled plastic and reclaimed materials, each hand painted and solar powered sculpture illuminates the garden at night and offers mobile device charging, allowing the artwork itself to function as social infrastructure.
Each Perennial honors one of three communities whose cultural presence shapes Prince George's County: the African American community, the Piscataway Indigenous people, and the Latin community. Their shared palette of red, blue, orange, black, and white carries cultural meaning within each heritage, and the designs incorporate symbols and patterns selected through research and community engagement, creating unity while preserving distinct identities.
The illuminated leaves and the ornamental patterns on the recycled aluminum charging pods reference butterfly species native or culturally significant to each region, and a QR code connects visitors to local information as well as the global network of one hundred Perennials, a single site spanning artwork placed around the world.
As one of only a few locations where the Perennials take root, Civic Plaza becomes a destination of cultural and environmental significance. Conceived after Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico and shaped by experiences of displacement, renewal, and collective care, the Perennials series continues here as an homage to the diverse communities of Prince George's County.
African American Perennial
The African American Perennial draws inspiration from African cultural heritage, especially West African symbolism, where butterflies represent transformation, beauty, and freedom. In many West African contexts, butterflies also appear as indicators of a healthy environment and a balanced natural world.
SYMBOLS
The design incorporates Adinkra symbols that have butterfly like symmetrical forms. The ones incorporated into this design signify honesty, power, affluence, unity, and strength.
Also featured is the ilarun, the traditional Yoruba hair comb, symbolizing beauty, cultural pride, and the sacred care of the head.
Along the bottom fringe, Adire inspired patterns echo the indigo dyed textiles of Yoruba tradition, celebrating the artistry and cultural depth of West African cloth.
COLORS
Blue reflects the deep indigo of Adire, long associated with spirituality, wisdom, and ceremony.
White represents purity, spiritual clarity, and peace.
Orange evokes creativity and possibility.
Black symbolizes strength, depth, and the origin of life, and is also tied to identity and ancestry in African symbolism.
Red conveys vitality and the energetic force of life.
Piscataway Perennial Statement
The Piscataway Perennial honors the Indigenous people of this region, recognizing them as the first caretakers of this land and acknowledging the living presence of their descendants. Archaeological fragments uncovered through local excavations remind us that the stories of the Piscataway people remain embedded in the soil beneath our feet. In many Indigenous traditions, the butterfly symbolizes transformation, rebirth, the journey of the soul, and the cyclical nature of life. This sculpture stands in respect for their history and in recognition of the communities who continue to carry these traditions forward.
SYMBOLS
For the Piscataway people, the turtle holds particular significance as a figure of creation and a symbol of endurance, wisdom, and the earth itself.
The sculpture also carries a butterfly motif linked in many Native traditions to the enduring cycle of life, often described as a symbol of everlasting renewal.
The rivers that shape their homeland, including the Potomac, appear in their stories as sources of life, movement, and continuity.
COLORS
The sculpture's primary color, orange, reflects the warmth of the land and the cycles of nature.
White symbolizes peace, clarity, and the spiritual realm.
Blue evokes water and sky.
Black can represent the unknown and the night, but also the strength required for life’s transitions.
Red is widely used among Eastern Woodland tribes to signify life, beauty, and the living earth.
Latin Perennial Statement
The Latin Perennial reflects the rich cultural traditions of Latin communities, where butterflies symbolize transformation, freedom, and the journey of the soul. Throughout the Latin world, butterflies appear in stories, textiles, celebrations, and everyday expressions of heritage, often connected to ancestors, guidance, and spiritual passage.
SYMBOLS
The design carries literal wing patterns found in the region.
It also includes subtly abstracted motifs inspired by its textile traditions.
At its base rests the Mayan flower symbol, chosen for its balanced symmetry that echoes the sweep of butterfly wings.
COLORS
The sculpture is prominently red, a color associated in many Indigenous Latin cultures with vitality, life, fire, and spiritual strength.
White conveys clarity, peace, and spiritual guidance.
Blue evokes water and sky and in the Maya world is linked to sacred meaning and deities such as Chaak.
Black represents depth, power, and ancestral connection.
Orange signifies creativity, festivity, and warmth.
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