Metal with Meaning

While strolling through the Sarah P. Duke Gardens in Durham, NC, you may notice an eye-catching metal sculpture here and there. Chances are that the piece of art that you saw was created by Jim Gallucci, a sculptor from Greensboro, NC. Not only is his artwork featured locally, it can also be seen across the state of North Carolina, the United States, and beyond!

With this kind of talent, you would imagine that Gallucci has a work space filled with sculpture models, trophies and awards from all of his recognition. But this is far from the truth. Gallucci’s shop in Greensboro, NC, is filled with metal - bronze, steel, stainless steel and brass to name a few - that is incorporated into his artwork.

“We don’t have a gallery or showroom,” explains Jo Boykin, Gallucci’s assistant. “This is a real blue collar, metal workshop and production space.” Gallucci designs and fabricates all his sculptures from this location.

The items that are created in this shop are pieces of art that changes an individual’s view. For the past thirty years Gallucci has created sculptures for four different groups of clients: private homeowners, contractors of private residences, commercial projects, and public art displays for civic and non-profit organizations.

Whether it is a new gate or bench for a residential property or a 30-foot work of art that is placed at a park or a local shopping market, each piece has its own meaning.

HAVING A MEANING

Gallucci explained the bridge that he created for the Sarah P. Duke Japanese Garden was customized to fit the scenery. “Looking at the space where the bridge was placed in the Japanese garden was very important,” states Gallucci. “The bridge needed not stand out, but blend in with the bamboo, creek and other elements and to create a Japan-like atmosphere. I had the idea to have it a certain color but a member of the Duke University staff wanted it brown. After I looked at the bridge in its space, I am glad that he convinced me of this."

Gallucci’s five employees all work together on his structures. His business typically has six-eight projects going at one time. They usually have about two-three projects in production at the shop. At the same time they will have two projects in negotiation, two at the engineer, and two-three in process of being designed.”

One of the most popular residential home pieces Gallucci produces are gateways that are made of artistic metal and are designed in many different styles to fit the needs of the client. For Gallucci, the use of a gate is a way of making his art accessible to the viewer.  The format of the gate gives the viewer a literal entry into his work, a portal which “takes the viewer on an aesthetic journey.”

A homeowner will come to Gallucci and express the design that they want for a gate. Together they throw ideas back and forth and a blueprint is produced. In the end it is not only an expression of the client but of Gallucci as well.

A homeowner outside of Philadelphia, PA wanted a customized gate but was specifically concerned for her dogs. She wanted the dogs to be able to stick their head out the gate but she did not want the dogs to get stuck. The solution was to add a mesh backing to the steel to prevent any accidents and to add two holes big enough for the dogs to peak their heads out to alert strangers. 

“The homeowner even measured the dog’s height so we had that right,” smiled Gallucci. “These gates are customized to make everyone happy, including the pets within.”

Gallucci’s work recently caught the attention of a well-known celebrity. He has just finished a gate for NASCAR driver Kyle Petty at his private residence in Trinity, NC. The gate is called “Adamont” and features Petty’s children’s names Adam, Austin, and Montgomery Lee, among two stone columns. 

 
Another example of customized work is a tree gate and tunnel that is an entrance to a residential swimming pool. Made of steel and epoxy the towering tunnel and gate is another example of Gallucci’s attention to detail. The beautiful tunnel is a sculpture of an oak tree with its branches wrapping around. The gate to the tunnel, also an oak tree, gives one an inviting feeling to a unique world beyond its doors.

Locally, a unique gate was built for a homeowner living off 15/501 close to the Durham/Chatham County line.  A garden house was built at the entrance to the vegetable garden to hold supplies and materials. An average black 8ft. fence was already in place around the perimeter of the garden to prevent deer and other animals from entering.

To make the garden house more appealing to the eye, Gallucci came up with the idea of creating a yellow and green zucchini plant gate that could easily slide back and forth and would serve its purpose of keeping animals from passing through the house to the garden. To create such a gate Gallucci explained that he enlarges the blueprint of the sketch and then draws a grid of the gate on the floor of his Greensboro shop. He then bends the metal to the outline and fabricates the metal. That is how a Gallucci gate is born.

Not too far from the home of the zucchini plant gate is Briar Chapel, a new home “green” community, which has been intentionally designed to inhabit the land without inhibiting its true nature. Newland Communities commissioned Jim Gallucci, to create Briar Chapel’s entranceway sculpture, which is a stainless steel replica of Carolina smilax leaves. When approaching the community you cannot help but notice its bright silver appearance posted along the brick gates. When the sun hits the sculptures just right it actually looks like the leaves are illuminated.

NORTH CAROLINA AND BEYOND

After working as an art instructor at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro for nine years Gallucci was an exhibit designer for the North Carolina Zoological Park in Asheboro, NC. While at the zoo, he created many sculptures to include “Hummingbird Garden,” and “Marsh Gate.” What you probably will not see at the zoo are the twenty-three doors that Gallucci created.

“The caretakers need a way to enter and exit the exhibits through a passageway,” explains Gallucci. “I created doors that blend in with the topography to practically become invisible to the visitor’s eye. This way the natural environment of the exhibit is maintained and the doors do not become a focal point to the visitors.” 

Locally Gallucci created the 62 foot long gate for Exploris called the “Whisper Gate.”  This functional gate has the theme of communication with the world.  Sound tubes wind throughout the structure creating a lyrical interpretation of the world while allowing children of all ages to whisper messages through the gate.  He has also created a smaller version of this sound travel art piece called the “Whisper Bench.” An example can be found at the Kids Together Park in Cary. A few other local works of art by Gallucci include the “Cattail Gate” at the NC Botanical Garden in Chapel Hill, and “Polaris” at the Northen Telecom (NORTEL) Training Center in Raleigh.

For six years, Jim’s work was selected to participate in the Pier Walk Sculpture Show in Chicago, IL, the world’s largest outdoor sculpture show with an estimated 8.2 million visitors. Gallucci has been chosen for such international shows as the World Expo 88 in Brisbane, Australia and the 7th Henry Moore Grand Prize Exhibition at the Utsukushi-ga-hara Open-Air Museum, Hakone, Japan. In 2007 Jim earned a diploma of Nomination from the 2008 Beijing Olympics for a submission.

REBUILDING HISTORY 

What Gallucci might be the most well known for is the 23-foot gate sculpture created from five tons of mangled steel from the World Trade Center ruins as well as new galvanized steel. Gallucci was the only artist allowed 37,000 pounds of steel salvaged from the World Trade Center’s No. 1 and No. 2 towers. The arching steel beams vault, as vigilant protectors, towards a central gate composed of panels to honor those who lost their lives in the September 11th disaster.  Gates symbolize passage - A physical, emotional, and spiritual movement from one space or consciousness to another. 

The exhibit is on a national tour to raise the thousands of dollars in donations needed to finish a second memorial gate, which will include silhouettes of victims, rescuers and survivors, on a base resembling the plane that crashed in Pennsylvania. The exhibit traveled from Greensboro to Red Hook, NY, outside of the Children’s Fund Headquarters in 2004, then to Gallucci’s alma mater LeMoyne College in Syracuse, NY. The exhibit entered North Carolina territory at Elon College in 2005 and is now located at the Airborne and Special Operations Museum in Fayetteville.

“Good art challenges us, makes us feel righteous, moves us, soothes us, heals us and brings us peace,” states Gallucci.  

Presently Gallucci is working on two projects for Duke University: a giant Duke University Crest filled with books that will be mounted on the outside of the Perkins Library wall and also a Victorian Water lilies prototype for the Sarah P. Duke gardens – among other projects. Jim Gallucci lives in Greensboro, N.C with his wife Kathy, who is a professor at Elon University. They have two children, a daughter, Madeline, who is off to Art school this fall, and a son, Mario. 

MICHELLE ANYSZ IS THE EDITOR FOR NEW HOMES & IDEAS MAGAZINE

*Photos courtesy of Jim Gallucci