Payton Broshears, a student in Rob Millard-Mendez’s ART 104 Design in Materials course, designed “The Three Rings of Life,” a sculpture made of concrete, steel, sweet pea vine, stones and moss.

“My intention for this piece was for it to serve as a memorial to the people who died from COVID-19. I wanted to represent their lives with nature, and the forms in the piece are based on Celtic symbols that represent life and unity. The Celts believed that humans and nature were one and that is why I added the plants,” says Broshears. “The three rings represent the past, present and future. The formation of the rings into a triangle portrays the unity and connectedness of memorializing the victims of this disease. The inclusion of a landscape design shows a Celtic theme, and that this is not only a sculpture but also a sort of sanctuary.”