Synaptic Wreath

6’x6’x2’, cast iron on steel base, 2023, photo courtesy Laura Mullen Vermilye

Synaptic Wreath, cast in 2022 at Sculpture Trails, features an abstracted neural network made from rope and elbows sculpted onto neurons. The elbows were life cast off of roughly 20 participants attending REACH in the spring of 2022. REACH (Refresh, Encourage, Activities, Care, Hope) Community Respite Ministry is a cooperative effort to care for and support persons with early to moderate memory issues and is based in Auburn, AL. The final sculpture shows the decaying bonds of an individual element and how resilience of an overall network can maintain ties to one another throughout significant challenges. The resulting piece is a memorial to the volunteers, caregivers, and patients who attend REACh as well as to everyone impacted by Alzheimer’s and dementia.