Queen's Gate 66Commissioned by the City of Springfield, Missouri—known as the “Queen City of the Ozarks”—Queen’s Gate 66 was created to commemorate the 100-year anniversary of the historic Route 66 highway while extending its meaning forward into the future. At the center of the sculpture is the illuminated “corona,” a radiant form that reads simultaneously as both a crown and a rising or setting sun. Its colors are drawn from the shifting tones of sunrise and sunset, representing the passage of time across a century of travel, movement, and cultural exchange along Route 66. The sculpture itself is aligned east to west, following both the trajectory of the roadway and the movement of the sun across the horizon. The sunburst form ultimately resolves into a crown—an acknowledgment of Springfield’s identity as the “Queen City of the Ozarks”—and gives the sculpture its name. Two sweeping steel arches rise and intersect through the corona, passing one another in motion like travelers moving in opposite directions along the highway, continuously exchanging place, perspective, and story.
Conceived as both a visual landmark and an immersive public experience, the open center invites visitors to move directly through the sculpture and engage physically with the work. Within the structure, engraved stainless steel panels trace iconic Route 66 landmarks from Missouri and across the United States, creating a layered narrative experience that connects Springfield’s local identity to the broader mythology and collective memory of America’s most iconic roadway. The interior passageway offers visitors a place to pause, reflect, and experience the sculpture from within. Integrated lighting transforms the work after dark, activating the structure with color and glow that extend its presence into the evening and reinforce its role as a civic gathering place during public events and celebrations. Designed for durability, accessibility, and constant public interaction, the sculpture balances structural resilience with a bold visual presence. As a large-scale public artwork, Queen’s Gate 66 functions not only as a sculptural form, but as an experiential gateway—one that frames movement through the site, encourages interaction, and contributes to the evolving cultural identity of Springfield’s Route 66 corridor. Location: Springfield, MO Size: 30ft x 20ft x 6ft Materials: Stainless Steel, glass and LED lighting Queen's Gate was a collaboration between Amie Jacobsen and Jake Balcom Sculpture, with each artist contributing equally to the development of the concept, design, fabrication and project management. |
|