DIRT, created by artist Libby Barbee and commissioned by Adams County, transforms a repurposed agricultural grain silo into a large-scale zoetrope at Riverdale Regional Park. Framed viewing openings encircle the corrugated steel structure, allowing visitors to experience an animated sequence as imagery moves within the silo.

The artwork connects the region’s agricultural history with ideas of ecology, growth, and transformation. Its familiar grain-bin form becomes an interactive optical device, combining the industrial character of galvanized steel with layered vinyl imagery and a rotating internal mechanism.

Elmendorf Geurts provided structural engineering, fabrication, and installation support for the project. The team adapted the original indoor PVC armature into a durable galvanized-steel EMT structure suitable for permanent outdoor use, developed stamped structural drawings, fabricated adjustable set-screw connections, and added attachment points for the vinyl imagery. The modular armature was designed to fit closely within the existing grain-bin shell while allowing field adjustment during assembly.