Tom Fruin Sculpture is a Significant Donation to Public Art in Old Town North

A striking mosaic pillar graces the entrance to The Gables, the retail and rental apartment community located at 525 Montgomery Street and built in 2019. It was installed by the building’s developer, Gables Residential, as part of its community benefits contributions tied to development approvals. The work of Tom Fruin, a contemporary American sculptor, is represented in many national and international museums and collections including the Museum Kunstpalast in Düsseldorf, Germany; the Richard J. Massey Foundation for Arts and Sciences in New York, NY; and the Buenos Aires Design Center in Argentina. He is especially known for his work with reclaimed and scavenged materials, like the 2012 Watertower built of Plexiglas and steel, and located in Brooklyn.

Our sculpture is called Plinth and is an abstract map of the Alexandria Canal that ran just north of Montgomery Street from the Potomac River on its way to Washington DC. Additional information on the Canal is on the wall of the building and inside the residential lobby. Plinth is a very significant sculpture by a renowned artist and serves as a convenient identifier for the many restaurants, shops, and meeting places along the retail spine of Old Town North.

While you are there to take pictures of this fabulous work of art, remember to also stop by one of the eight nearby restaurants or stores such as West Elm, the Shade Shop, MyEyeDr., and more.