This design celebrates the past, present, and future of South Carolina and the cities of Greenville and Spartanburg by offering the viewer glimpses into the driving forces of the area’s history, culture, and economy. Three themes of water, textiles and technology/mobility are interwoven in the spirit of Paul Gauguin’s famous painting from 1897 “D’où Venons Nous / Que Sommes Nous / Où Allons Nous” – “Where Do We Come From? What Are We? Where Are We Going?”
As the waters from the Reedy River cascade downward through the composition, the viewer is invited into three reference plains, beginning with the recognizable form of Falls Park on the Reedy River through the textile patterns and grids of technology—which echo the same dynamic movement as seen in the waterfalls. The gesture of this design is one of movement and wonder through vivid colors and joyful spaces, which will give to the observant traveler a foretaste of the larger Greenville/ Spartanburg culture and area.