Grand Granary

Grand Granary

Steel And Bronze, 2025 

A granary is a structure for storing seeds, ranging from the simple caches of squirrels to the intricate rice silos of agrarian societies. Across species, both animals and humans gather and disperse seeds, spreading them across the landscape and enabling new life to take root. This mutual dependence between seed and steward—between creature and land—shapes ecosystems, from the wild to the urban.

The Grand Granary embodies this deeply interconnected process. Drawing inspiration from ecological patterns and careful study of local habitats, the installation reflects the unseen exchanges that sustain our environment. It acknowledges the movement of animals along abandoned railways, the legacy of acorn granaries built by the Nisenan people, and the coexistence of native and introduced species that now line the trail.

Through this work, we are invited to see ourselves not apart from nature, but embedded within a living, dynamic system—one that links trees, birds, mammals, people, and place in a shared story of regeneration and resilience.

Commissioned by the City of Sacramento

about the project

The Del Rio Trail transforms a five-mile abandoned railway corridor in the City of Sacramento into a dynamic pedestrian pathway that prioritizes equity, health, and public space access for all residents. Designed as a hybrid trail-park infrastructure, the project integrates community-engaged public art that reflects and uplifts the surrounding neighborhoods. Led by the City of Sacramento’s Office of Arts and Culture and funded by Clean California grants, the Del Rio Trail art initiative brought together 27 artists working across disciplines to create trail-inspired artworks rooted in community dialogue. Through an open juried process, ATLAS Lab was selected as one of five wayfinding artists, contributing to the trail’s identity and legibility through artistically integrated signage and placemaking elements.

Today, the Del Rio Trail features 18 permanent artworks and 12 interpretive signs installed along its length, transforming the corridor into a cultural and ecological spine that connects people to place, nature, and one another.