Annual Ring

TITLE: Annual Ring
​ARTIST: Nancy Holt
DATE: 1981
TYPE: Land Sculpture
MEDIA: Painted steel
 
ABOUT: The Annual Ring, designed by Nancy Holt, is designed to have a shadow cast that matches the circle in the center on the Summer Solstice. A ceremony and poetry reading is held each year.
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This steel landmark that looks like an over-sized bird cage, located near a pond by the Ryder Center, is officially named the Annual Ring. On the Summer Solstice (between June 20-23 each year), when the sun reaches its highest point in the sky, the sunlight shines through the opening on the top of the structure, and the shadow cast matches the ring on the ground of the structure. The Annual Ring was created by Nancy Holt for the Federal Building in Saginaw in 1981. When the Federal Building was demolished in 1999, it was relocated to SVSU at Holt’s request in 2000.​
 
​LOCATION: Saginaw Valley State University, University Center, Michigan