Lower Merion High School alum Peter Gard has returned to his alma mater nearly 25 years after graduating to install his latest art project: The Lockersphere.
The 700 lb. sculpture is comprised entirely of locker doors salvaged from the school's 2010 renovation. When demolition started, school officials contacted Gard about possibly creating an piece for the new space.
"When I spent some time in the building, I just realized the locker doors are the most recognizable part of the whole school. The locker meant so much to me because for the first time I had personal space to lock up and store my things," Peter Gard said of his inspiration.
His decision to shape the doors into a sphere comes from a love of basic forms. He said the project will hold special meaning to people of all ages because everyone can recognize a ball and make their own interpretation.
"After salvaging hundreds of locker doors, I generated a few different ideas and ran it by the art department there. After some discussion, we landed on this sphere of locker doors," Gard said.
Gard hung the Lockersphere outside the Bryant Gymnasium, named after basketball standout and former alumni Kobe Bryant, last Thursday.
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Although he has been continuously working on this sculpture for the past seven years, at times the Lockersphere has been on the back-burner to other projects.
This piece, however, is special to Gard because it brings back memories of his high school days. The 1993 grad is unsure if his former locker is included in the sculpture.
"It’s very likely." Gard added. "When I salvaged the doors I received the entire bank of lockers in my row. If it’s not in my sphere it’s still in my shop."
