After working on projects ranging from the Dallas Convention center to a sewer pump station, artist Norie Sato returned to Iowa State for a reception in her honor Thursday evening.

Sato was selected by the Art in State Buildings Program to create the two-story word wall found in the Palmer Human Development and Family Studies Building.

“The piece includes words used by children at the beginning of life, as well as words commonly used at the end of life,” Sato said. “It brings together both ends of life, and illustrates the similarity between the two extremes.”

Sato’s piece, “One Now All,” incorporates Anamosa limestone, terrazzo flooring, and water into the architecture of the building. Her art was incorporated into the building with the architectural plans, according to Carol Grant, member of the committee that selected Sato.

“Her style fit well with what we wanted for the building,” added Lynette Pohlman, director of University Museums. “We were looking for something contemporary but with a traditional foundation.”

Sato explained her goal in creating the piece.

“I made it for this building, and what they do in this building is work with people,” Sato said. “It is intended to engage children as well as adults. The building has programs that work with everyone from babies to the elderly, and I wanted to capture that with art and metaphor and let people interpret that.”

“I always wanted to work with water, and this was the first opportunity I had to do that,” she added. “The water is a metaphor for time. It also integrated sound into the art. Water makes a soothing sound, and they do therapy here. Sound can be really irritating if you’re not careful with it, but water is there without being too annoying.”

The art also appeals to the kids in the building. “The kids love to pick out their favorite words. Of course, the water is their favorite part,” explained Angie Richardson, head teacher of children ages 5 to 11.

Sato began working on the wall in 1997.

“We were captured by the vision she had of what she might do for us,” said Joan Herzig, Director of the Child Development Laboratory School.

The project began with a donation from Barbara Raeder Palmer and Jim Palmer, who made the building possible. Since its opening in March 2000, the building has housed the child development laboratory school, financial counseling clinic and marriage and family counseling clinic.