English: Matthews says each section of the piece is intentional. This is where her work stands out from others. Matthews says depending on the purpose of each of her projects, some require specific details and attention to help connect the art to its purpose.

On this monument, she says the statues are all a part of the greater story. For instance, each bell in the center of the statue’s chest represents the bells that rang at 10 in the morning during the pandemic—an effort heralded by Gov. Andy Beshear that stuck with many across the nation and beyond.

However, one of the most imperative aspects of this memorial is the large reflective sphere held by a pillar with human bodies carved into it.

“The sphere is the only shape in the world where all of the points on an exterior are exactly equal distance to the center,” she explained poetically. “Which I thought was such a beautiful comparison to a commonwealth, where everyone has an equal voice.”

She says the sculpture has layers, one of those showing that people were challenged by the unexpected during the pandemic.

It’s how a historical tale and Kentucky motto — “United We Stand, Divided We Fall” comes to life.

“We have this rich, rich history of this motto that I tell in the concept you’ll be able to scan the QR code at the entrance and hear me narrate the story, and it is such a beautiful story,” Matthews said.

The memorial will have white lights that stay on and turn green each evening. The color green and green lights were a symbol of compassion during the height of the pandemic. When it’s complete, the memorial will have areas to openly walk around and reflect on Kentucky’s recovery.