Location: Terminal 2, Ticket Counter C-D; Bag Claim 2-3
Artist: Lydia Rubio
Installation: October 2008

This is one of two installations in Terminal 2 created by Lydia Rubio. Gate of Earth is an aluminum and steel tree that begins outside and appears to enter the inside of the terminal. It enters the building in bag claim and extends up a light well into the building’s ticketing lobby. The tree is accompanied by a small cardinal, the North Carolina state bird.

The artwork considers feelings associated with leaving or returning home or traveling into the world. Traditional North Carolina symbols — trees and birds — are combined with the words of North Carolina writer Thomas Wolfe.