Documenting the American South

Commemorative Landscapes of North Carolina
Commemorative Landscapes of North Carolina
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  • Monument Name

    Cheryl "Sparkie" Alexander Memorial, UNC (Chapel Hill)

  • Type

    Abstract Sculpture

  • Subjects

    Educational Institutions

  • Creator

    Mike Roig, Sculptor

  • City

    Chapel Hill

  • County

    Orange

  • Description

    Located in the rooftop garden of UNC’s Carrington Hall, this sculpture was created in memory of Cheryl “Sparkie” Alexander, a graduate of the School of Nursing Class of 1967. The approximately 7' tall recycled steel and copper sculpture consists of a pelican flanked by two sailboats. Several birds fly through the sculpture. The pelican was Alexander’s favorite bird. The sculpture contains several moving parts.

  • Inscription

    Front plaque: Dedicated by the Class of 1967 / In loving memory of / Cheryl Lynn Sedlacek Alexander

    Left sailboat: FOR SPARKIE

    Base: MR 2007

  • Custodian

    School of Nursing, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill

  • Dedication Date

    November 2, 2007

  • Decade

    2000s

  • Geographic Coordinates

    35.906730 , -79.051830 View in Geobrowsemap pin

  • Supporting Sources

      "Memorial to Cheryl 'Sparkie' Alexander," The Carolina Story: A Virtual Museum of University History, (accessed February 28, 2012) Link

  • Public Site

    Yes

  • Materials & Techniques

    Recycled steel, copper

  • Sponsors

    UNC School of Nursing Class of 1967

  • Subject Notes

    Cheryl Alexander (1945-2006), PhD, MPH, MA, RN, graduated from the UNC School of Nursing in 1967, and then went on to obtain a Master of Arts in Nursing from NYU in 1971, a Master of Public Health from John Hopkins in 1973, and a Doctoral Degree in 1977, also from John Hopkins. As a professor at John Hopkins’ Bloomberg School of Public Health, Dr. Alexander became a leader in adolescent health research.

  • Location

    The sculpture stands on the rooftop garden of Carrington Hall (School of Nursing, Campus Box #7460), accessible from the fourth floor during business hours.

  • Landscape

    The sculpture is part of a rooftop garden of the environmentally friendly addition to the building.

  • Approval Process

    Cheryl Alexander's nursing school classmates commissioned and raised the funds for the sculpture after her death from cancer in 2006.

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