“The Gathering Point” by Kunhild Blacklock 1999

Rock Island Arsenal Island, Illinois

"The Gathering Point" is located near the reconstructed portion of Fort Armstrong on Arsenal Island. The work includes two steel murals on either side of a pointed lookout. A triangular shaped platform and seating area look outs over the River. The designs highlight the river's role as a natural resource and source of Native American legends. In the evening, light creates "reverse-shadows" on the platform from cutout shapes of leaves, animals and insects in the murals. The dominate figure in the mural is an Indian figure designed by Mesquakie Shaman Preston Duncan.