The Eliot Society was recently approached by two artists who are working on a piece of public sculpture, entitled "Wheels," to be installed this summer near the front of the new Civic Center Transit Station in downtown St. Louis.

The artwork is inspired by lines from Four Quartets: “At the still point of the turning world. Neither flesh nor fleshless; / Neither from nor towards; at the still point, there the dance is.” These words will be inscribed in a ring at the base of the sculpture.

We were happy to learn that Eliot will be honored in such a public way in his native city—not far from the site of his home on Locust Street, in fact. Hundreds of thousands of people will encounter the sculpture, reading the lines of his poem while walking by or waiting to meet people. There will also be a plaque containing information about the poet.

While the artwork and its installation are being funded by a St. Louis non-profit organization (Arts in Transit), the artists are seeking additional funding for the granite to be used in the Eliot inscription. The Society has pledged $1,000 in support of the monument; however, the project needs an additional $4,000 to become reality.

An anonymous donor has generously offered to give up to $2,500 in matching funds to support this project: for every dollar contributed by members of the Society and the public, this donor will give $3. If we can raise an additional $1,500, we'll be able to fund the inscription.

We ask you to consider giving, and every little bit counts! While there are many good causes to support, just $10 or $20 from you translates into a very tangible and lasting commemoration of Eliot's poetry in the city of his birth.

To contribute, please visit the Donation page on our secure financial site. There is no need to log in to the site to make a donation.

Thank you very much for anything you can give!