The Coconino Scroll is easily accessible and free to view at any time.
More than two dozen community members gathered at Pulliam Airport on May 24 to dedicate the Coconino Scroll, a decorative steel fence near the airport’s economy parking lot. This whimsical display consists of decorative steel designs embedded with colorful stained-glass elements that celebrate the history, environment and culture of Flagstaff and its surroundings.
The Coconino Scroll is the latest addition to the community’s 40 public art pieces that highlight Flagstaff’s rich cultural and historic heritage. Coordinated by the City of Flagstaff’s Beautification and Public Arts Commission, they consist of murals, sculptures, mosaics, photographs and interactive displays.
The artist team of Pete Goldlust and Melania Germond designed the ornamental piece, which consists of 28 sections of fence that each measure 9½ feet by 7 feet. Complementing the fence are 25 bronze medallions in the ground that further tell stories of the area’s unique heritage.
Jana Weldon, the City of Flagstaff’s Beautification, Arts & Sciences Program manager, says, “Public art stimulates learning and thought about culture, past and present, about our individual connection to it. And most importantly, it activates the imagination.”
The Three Sisters (the indigenous diet of corn, beans and squash), Route 66, Northern Arizona University, the moon and Pluto, local plants and animals, the San Francisco Peaks and more make appearances along the fence and on the plaques.
In addition to serving as a place to spur the imagination and inspire people to learn about the local area, the Coconino Scroll is also expected to benefit local business. “This connection to a specific place attracts community and visitors alike,” said Weldon.
The Coconino Scroll is easily accessible and free to view at any time. FBN
By Kevin Schindler, FBN
Photo by Kevin Schindler: Arizona Historian Marshall Shore leads a tour of the Coconino Scroll during its dedication on May 24, interviewing artists Pete Goldlust and Melanie Germond, as well as Jana Weldon.