“Emily Wilson The Pearl Glade” Artist's Statement I wanted to depict a local species of ibis for this sculpture. According to American Indian folklore, one of the symbolic meanings of this bird is said to be that the ibis is the last to seek refuge before a hurricane and the first to appear after it, representing danger and optimism. Also an inspiration was the mythology of the Egyptian god Thoth, a god of knowledge, wisdom, and most importantly a patron of the scribes and writing, he is often shown as having the head of an ibis. In the sculpture, the bird is shown as walking instead of perching so to represent the continuation of experience. The lavender-blue book's title is Sophia, a mythological goddess of wisdom. Above the name on the right side of the open book cover is an image of a Louisiana Iris. On the spine of the book the image of a honey bee and flower center represent pollination and fruition. Below are three x's representing thirty year's time. On the left hand side of the book is a little crab holding a stem of pearls, and possibly going to ingest them. Crustaceans are known to be a primary food source for the ibis bird. The book itself is bordered in the string of pearl imagery, pearls of wisdom.