Chrysalis Views

                                         

A chrysalis is still. And yet it is alive. Glistening, silent. Holding mysteries: beauty yet unseen.

The Chrysalis in Merriweather Park is still, and green, and silent amidst the trees in Symphony Woods. From afar it is a sculpture, a work of art that seems to grow from the earth like its natural surroundings. As one approaches it arches upward, like a cathedral.

It is holy. It is playful. It is welcoming.

There is nothing in Columbia like it. The Chrysalis will forever transform Columbia by changing how we engage with the Symphony Woods land around Merriweather. It will host performances of varying sizes and gatherings of all kinds. Some will take place directly under its outstretched arches. Some will spread out into the surrounding landscape--picnics on quilts, children dancing on the lawn.

This shared community space speaks to what Columbia was meant to be, what it is, and what it can be. As time goes on, our memories will become peopled with recollections of times we spent here. The Chrysalis will become as intertwined with who we are as fireworks at the Lakefront or summer concerts in the shadow of the People Tree.

It will be Our Place.

"I'll meet you at the Chrysalis," we'll say, knowing that good things await us in the woods.

The Chrysalis opens on Saturday, April 22nd with a Dedication event in the morning and a Music Festival from 2:30 to 11:00 pm. Follow this link to get more information and to get tickets.

As we celebrate Columbia on its fiftieth birthday and remember its spirited beginnings, we are also invited to be present for the birth of something new. Something still and silent, yet alive with promise.

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