See Also Cleveland Public Art Series

A public monument, “Reflect & Refract Democracy,” engages the Eastman Garden and its visitors in an interactive system of reflections, refractions, and nonlinear history – echoing the system of democracy, which the artwork has been designed to celebrate.In the far corners of the garden, maze-like lenticular walls interweave life-size photographs of historic Cleveland and mirrored panels, which reflect visitors into the artwork. This visual integration of past and present celebrates the garden’s visitors as active authors of Cleveland’s strong identity.

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Embedded with prisms this monument to democracy bends and reflects light, bathing visitors in a rainbow glow as they experience the historical narrative of Cleveland, through photographs from the archives of Cleveland Public Library, The Library of Congress, John Kuntz for Cleveland.com, and Cleveland State University’s Cleveland Memory Project. Unveiled on the centennial of the 19th amendment, an accomplishment that broadened our definition of democracy but still fell short of representing many…this artwork upholds the complicated and challenges that face democracy.