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Sertoma Arts Center Public Art

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Public Art at Sertoma Art Center About the Artist About the Project Timeline

Public Art at Sertoma Art Center

Greensboro-based artist Jim Gallucci was selected in 2024 to create public artwork at Sertoma Arts Center as part of an upcoming renovation and expansion of the existing center.

Inspired by a beloved ginkgo tree in the park, Jim is planning an installation that incorporates ginkgo leaves into a freestanding sculpture and wall installation. The leaves were created during public workshops in summer 2025 and will be cast at an iron pour onsite this fall. For Jim, the prehistoric ginkgo tree embodies resilience and timelessness. A living relic of evolution, the tree connects past and present, nature and creativity.

Concept Design: Sketch showing the proposed sculpture and wall attachments.

Concept Design: Sketch showing one of the gingko leaf mold shapes and a maquette of the proposed sculpture.

Concept Design: Maquette by the artist showing the proposed sculpture and wall attachments.

Community Engagement: Participants in a public workshop at Sertoma Arts Center carving scratch block molds that will be used in the creation of the final artwork.

Community Engagement: Closeup of one of the scratch block molds, showing the ginkgo leaf design. The designs will be cast in iron and incorporated into the final sculpture.

Concept Design: Rendering shows proposed artwork and placement. The final design will include iron leaves that have been powder-coated in colors inspired by the gingko tree and to contrast with the building.

About the Artist

Rugged white man in a grey knit hat and white bushy heard standing in a workship with hands in his pockets.

Jim Gallucci has been a sculptor for more than 40 years. A graduate of LeMoyne College and Syracuse University, he has taught at both UNC-Greensboro and the University of Alabama at Huntsville and was an exhibit designer for the North Carolina Zoological Park in Asheboro, NC.

Today, Jim designs and fabricates sculptures in his Greensboro-based studio, assisted by his staff. His work has been shown internationally and he has completed commissions for public, corporate, and residential spaces nationwide.

Learn more about Jim

About the Project

Sertoma Arts Center has served as a hub of creativity and community arts education in Raleigh since 1979. One of two City facilities dedicated to visual arts, it is a vibrant, creative destination for artists of all ages, levels, and abilities.

Located in the heart of Shelley Lake Park, a 144-acre park in mid-town Raleigh, the park features a two-mile paved scenic greenway trail around 53-acre Shelley Lake and trails leading to scenic overlooks, green spaces, and a playground. The Arts Center was built into the park’s wooded area to take advantage of the beautiful natural setting.

Funded by the 2022 City of Raleigh Parks Bond, the Sertoma Arts Center improvements project will include renovating the existing art center building, upgrading building and site accessibility, and expanding the building to add additional studio and gallery space.

Learn more about planned Sertoma Arts Center improvements

Timeline

The project timeline for planning, design, and construction of the arts center improvements runs from 2024-2028.

DateActivity
2025Concept Designs
2026Final Design
2027-2028Fabrication and Installation

Contact

 

Kelly Marks
Public Art Project Manager
kelly.marks@raleighnc.gov

Julia Whitfield
Public Art Community Engagement Coordinator
julia.whitfield@raleighnc.gov

Department:
Parks, Recreation and Cultural Resources
Service Categories:
Raleigh Arts
Related Services:
Public Art

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