SALT DESIGN STUDIO was commissioned to design and implement a permanent, public artwork, as part of the city-wide Poetry Paths initiative. Poetry Paths, sponsored by Franklin & Marshall College and supported by the City of Lancaster, introduces the public to poetry through site-specific works of visual art on the street.

Sited outside the Public Library in downtown Lancaster, the “i” sculpture is a bench, an anchor and a lens for understanding the place, through the words of Emily Dickinson’s poem, “I Dwell in Possibility”.

As a public marker, the “i” engages and alters the present dynamics of the space, and connects – both conceptually and visually – to the surrounding context of the library, city hall and streetscape. Lauded by the public and the Mayor’s office for its fresh and inventive attitude, the “i” sculpture beckons to urban dwellers: read, rest, reflect, and return.

Collaborator: Artist Erin Gleason

Fabricator: Irvin Services