Chur Chur emerged from a community engagement workshop in which local high school students envisioned a sculpture that would inspire them. The design weaves together recurring themes of regional flora and fauna with the area’s aviation legacy, rooted in Stead Airport and its history as host of the National Championship Air Races. A sweeping corten steel contrail carries a flock of origami birds that honor Nevada’s state bird, the Mountain Bluebird, while playfully referencing paper airplanes and the area’s native grasses.

Serving as a visual landmark, the sculpture shifts in perception as viewers move around it, creating a sense of movement and evoking ideas of freedom, aspiration, and community.

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