“Give me a field and it’s pure inspiration,” sculptor Thomas Sayre says. He likes stainless steel, sure, but at the moment, Sayre is into earthcasting, in which he “digs holes in Mother Earth, pours or sprays concrete into their shapes, and then stands them up against Father Sky.” Sayre wants to marry human intention and the grain of nature, which means that a 16-foot-tall, 30,000-pound piece is “small and intricate” for this artist who uses complex detailing and structural engineering to build his creations. Oh, and a very large crane.
Feature image: The massive sculptures that Sayre casts in dirt worldwide, including Flue in Kinston (above, right), begin as designs in an old plumbing supply warehouse in downtown Raleigh.
Across the globe from Vietnam, effects of the war reverberate through the state, where social and political perspectives are shifting quickly and dramatically.
These places are the stewards of some very special items: Doc Watson’s first recording, the desk Virginia Woolf used to redefine the novel, and Elisha Mitchell’s pocket watch are just some of the cherished pieces that teach us about our state’s history and the people who preserve it.
From burgers to comfort food to elegant entrées, the range of plant-based dining in North Carolina is growing. Restaurants on this list are exclusively vegetarian and/or vegan.
