Ghost of Midnight

“Anthology”

Artist Lydia Kern was commissioned to create a sculpture to grace Burlington’s City Hall Park on Main Street. She recently announced the unveiling in a posting on Front Porch Forum.

“A few years ago I posted a call for flowers on FPF as part of a public project. ‘Anthology’ is now complete and on Main St. across from the Flynn. THANK YOU to everyone who responded to the call!! Your participation built the work. Marie Davis, another Burlington-based artist, was key in seeing this project through and fabricating the work with me. It is a gift and a joy to be able to give this work to our city! This work belongs to all of us- especially the flower gatherers and those living in closest proximity to Anthology.

‘Anthology’ is a monumental public sculpture—an archive of light, memory, and collective presence installed near Burlington, Vermont’s City Hall. Composed of hundreds of preserved flowers gathered by neighbors across Burlington, the work draws from the Greek anthologia, meaning ‘a collection of flowers,’ reflecting on transformation, interdependence, and participation.

Like a bloom or a sunset, ‘Anthology’ holds what is fleeting yet enduring. Flowers ascend and descend in a murmuration; stone-like pieces rely on each other to stand. The monument is a threshold—a space to celebrate, to grieve, to witness, and to imagine a future shaped by all that preserves life and the persistence of beauty.’

A treasure hunt ‘I Spy’ list for items inside the sculpture can be found on my website, along with a longer form description about the project : https://www.lydiakern.com/anthology

This project was commissioned through the Great Streets Project/BCA. Hope to see you soon!”

Learn more about this project in the story on Vermont Public.
https://www.vermontpublic.org/local-news/2025-11-06/new-public-art-revitalize-burlingtons-main-street