Those statues were a gift from an anonymous group called
Queens Table. They have also donated a couple of other art pieces around CLT.
From the CLT Observer 11/11/07:
Solving your art puzzles
LEIGH DYER
New public art is booming in this region. But plenty of newcomers are curious about the art they've already seen. I'm here to help them find answers.
After I first raised this issue last week, I heard from Roger Dube of Charlotte about one eye-catching work: "There is an interesting statue of Queen Charlotte at the airport ... It appears that she is falling backwards.
I was wondering why the artist chose her to portray the queen in that fashion."
Sculptor Raymond Kaskey took 2 1/2 years casting the bronze statue of Charlotte's namesake.
(Kaskey also designed the four statues at The Square at Trade and Tryon streets uptown). Facing the airport's front entrance, the sculpture tops a fountain standing on a marble and brass compass, signifying Charlotte at the crossroads of North and South.
The whimsical statue, privately funded by a philanthropic group called Queen's Table, is intended to evoke an image of a woman buffeted by winds. But some observers see her recoiling from a blow to the stomach.
And question No. 2 comes from Lisi Szymczyk, an uptown Charlotte resident: "Can you tell me about the rotating fabric circle sculpture at the intersection of Trade and Pine streets, in front of the federal courthouse?"
"Wind sculpture," created by artist Jack Pentes in 1986, was also paid for by Queen's Table.
The stack of six spheres, made from metal pipe, contains circles of brightly colored canvas that catch breezes. The work is meant to evoke a sense of color, movement, excitement and place.
Want a handy guide to uptown Charlotte's public art? Go to the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Arts & Science Council's Web site (
Arts & Science Council), click on "Public Art" and then "Walking Tour."
You'll see a map and brief summaries of all of uptown's major works. Got a question?
704-358-5058
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