Resilience – Five Points Park, Norfolk, Virginia

Resilience is a large-scale public sculpture and immersive gathering space located at the entrance to Norfolk’s revitalized Five Points Park. Designed by public artist Sean Orlando, the sculptural work is composed of 23 distinct blades of grass, joined together in a unified circular form that symbolizes the resilience and interconnectedness of the surrounding Norview community.

Commissioned by the Norfolk Arts Commission and the Five Points Park Planning Committee, the piece was developed in close collaboration with local civil engineers to integrate seamlessly with the site’s landscape and community vision.

With a footprint of 22 feet in diameter and rising 13 feet tall, Resilience invites both interaction and reflection. Its layered, organic forms reference the strength of nature—how grass bends before breaking—and the power of unity among individuals.

Sean Orlando, Lead Artist at Engineered Artworks, envisioned the sculpture as a metaphor for community support and collective purpose.

“I wanted to create a piece that represented the interconnectedness of the neighborhood and community,” says Orlando. “This piece is made up of 23 unique and individual blades of grass that come together to support each other within a unified circular form.

When I think of trees, branches and blades of grass, I am reminded of the tremendous ability that nature possesses to bend under pressure before breaking.

Members of the Norview community are all unique, hardworking individuals, and when we come together as a community to support each other with common purpose, we are stronger.”

Lead Artist: Sean Orlando
Fabricated by: Engineered Artworks
Transported by: Artifact Logistics

Specs:
22’ x 22’ x 13’
Steel, weather-resistant coating, cement