“Dance of Life,” located to the right of Davidson’s Town Hall. It honors the life of Patricia Knox and was created by nationally known artist, Douwe Blumberg.

Walking around our town near sunset, the last light reflected on the birds’ wings in this beautiful piece, and I felt grateful. Grateful to live in a town that values the arts and understands how they uplift us, even on our harder days. Grateful to share this community with people who care for each other. Grateful for a clear, blue November day.

Winston Churchill understood something about the power of art to inspire and shape us. He said, “The arts are essential to any complete national life. The State owes it to itself to sustain and encourage them…ill fares the race which fails to salute the arts with the reverence and delight which are their due.”

As we move on from a contentious election and try to reach one another in community, art reminds us that what we share is far stronger than any issues that divide us. Art gives us pause to both consider beauty and to seek it in our lives together, our dance.

Thank you to town leaders who support public art—an act of true civic kindness—and to citizens who greet art with time and energy and intelligence, generous donors who help make it possible, and talented artists who create such work as this piece.

Shall we dance?