The Unloading Dock (receiving, holding); Provisional Loops; Nightshift
2026 On view
Artist Lynne Smith
Curator James McAnally
Address
2300 Falling Springs Rd
Sauget, IL
Site Description
Accessibility: This campus is outdoors at a postindustrial steel foundry and not fully ADA accessible. For your safety, closed-toe shoes are required. Visitors may explore the campus. Please remain mindful of your surroundings, stay on designated visitor routes and refrain from climbing on artifacts. Visitors under 18 years of age require supervision. Report any unsafe conditions to staff immediately. Portable ADA restrooms are available. Rideshare apps may not pick up from this location. Open Fri–Sat, 10 am – 5 pm by appointment only on other days. To book an appointment, email staff@nationalbuildingartscenter.org.
Artwork Details
About the Artwork
Lynne Smith has been engaging with the complex ecologies of the National Building Arts Center and its industrial histories since 2023. Connecting two ponds on the NBAC campus, The Unloading Dock (receiving, holding) brings attention to adapted aquatic ecosystems.
Adjacent to a ‘deep pit’ used by the Sterling Steel Company, a retention pond evolved over decades into a ruderal ecosystem. It is home to wildlife, but inaccessible to visitors due to industrial impacts. A new pond, the site’s loading dock, would occasionally have standing water when it was not pumped to the overflow grate. The two ponds are connected via the stormwater system. Smith transformed the loading dock by holding collected rainwater and introducing the American lotus.
This project is supported by the Helen Frankenthaler Foundation’s Frankenthaler Climate Initiative.