Borchuck Plaza Public Arts Project
Update Borchuck Plaza Memorial Fountain
The location of the new proposed monument that commemorates the first African American students enrolled at East Tennessee State University has changed.
A couple of winters ago, a major freeze impacted several buildings, including damaging the fountain that served as the iconic piece of artwork acknowledging those first African Americans. The fountain in the center of the plaza tells a story of hope, inspiration, and courage and is dedicated to the five Black students who first desegregated East Tennessee State University: Eugene Caruthers, Elizabeth Watkins Crawford, Clarence McKinney, George L. Nichols, and Mary Luellen Owens Wagner. These students went on to succeed in education, civil rights activism, military service, and business. The constantly flowing water in the fountain is a reminder of these pioneering individuals' enduring place in our university's history.
A committee comprised of ETSU faculty, staff, students, and community members was organized. Their charge was to identify a new design that would replace the damaged one. The committee requested proposals from Artists from around the country to re-envision what the new fountain could look like. There were many proposals submitted, but only a select few were chosen to present their ideas. The selected artists traveled to Johnson City to present their ideas. After the presentations, the committee deliberated and came to a consensus with one of the artist’s work.
Given the design that was selected by the committee, applying water to the design to form a new fountain would not take advantage of the fountain concept in a very appropriate way. A decision was made to repair the existing fountain and keep it in its current location. The new design will be located adjacent to the existing location but still maintain a presence in Borchuck Plaza in front of the Sherrod Library. Below, you will see an image of the new proposed monument and the area where it will be located.
