The sculptures were created through earth casting, a technique world-renown-artist Thomas Sayre used to create the iconic arches at the North Carolina Museum of Art. Sayre molded the facades from tobacco rows constructed on-site. The art project represents a connection between Kinston’s tobacco-based agricultural history and it’s art based future in the Arts and Cultural District. “It’s a really cool piece that is obviously wedded to this place.” Sayre said. “Physically, here and now but also its past. For 2,500 years, humankind has been messing around in the dirt right around here.” The project is a collaboration between Stephen Hill’s SmART Kinston Community Council for the Arts. The former empty lot was once the home of the Brooks Tobacco Warehouse and is now home to seven tobacco barn facades that are 28 feet tall, 16 feet wide and 6 inches deep. His earth casting process uses the earth as the mold for reinforced concrete that is then colored with iron oxide to match the color of the dirt in which it was cast.
