Wake Sculpture

UNC Asheville is working to bring Wake, the monumental sculpture by internationally acclaimed artist Mel Chin, back to campus. Originally engineered and fabricated through a collaboration between Mel Chin Studio and UNC Asheville’s STEAM Studio, the work was first built in a campus workshop before traveling to Times Square and other public spaces across the country. Now, as its national tour comes to a close, UNC Asheville hopes to welcome Wake home to the campus where it began.

Reinstalling Wake on Reynolds Green will create an opportunity for students and the broader community to experience this powerful work up close. The sculpture blends art, engineering and storytelling, inviting reflection on history, the environment and our shared future. Its return would also support hands-on learning for students across disciplines while strengthening Asheville’s reputation as a place where creativity, collaboration and public art thrive. Support from donors will help prepare the site, install the sculpture and support student involvement as Wake returns to UNC Asheville.