The artist, Matt Kargol, describes his work symbolically, "Passage is composed of four columns representing events in an individual's life. The columns are two by two feet wide with lengths ranging from 16 to 18 feet. The 18 inch diameter sphere symbolizes the individual person. As an individual travels through life, he or she encounters events that must be dealt with before the person can move on. This passage from one event to another is illustrated by the notch removed from each column. The valley is symbolic of life's path and the decisions one makes." The full artist's statement can be read on the Library's website.

Kargol adds, "Each notch is a different color in correspondence with the colors in the Bettendorf Public Library and the Family Museum of Arts and Sciences architecture. The Sphere is multicolored, symbolizing the blend of events that have helped to shape the individual."

When this work was dedicated in 1998, Matt Kargol was still only 23 years old. From Oskaloosa, Iowa, Kargol is a recent graduate from the University of Northern Iowa.