Sandy Williams
Authors and Architects, by Sandy Williams IV, is a permanent memorial at Roanoke College honoring the lives and labor of 829 enslaved individuals who helped build and sustain the college. Composed of hundreds of bronze books cast from historical 19th-century texts and ledgers, the sculpture creates a space for reflection on the foundational role of these individuals in the institution’s history.
Roanoke College
Permanently Installed at Roanoke College
Bronze and Concrete Plinth
82” x 82” x 92”
About
Sandy Williams “Authors and Architects ”
Authors and Architects is the result of years of dedicated research led by Roanoke College’s Center for Studying Structures of Race. Student researchers carefully traced and documented the lives of the enslaved individuals whose labor was essential to the college’s early history, ensuring each name honored in the memorial was treated with accuracy and care. Working closely with artist Sandy Williams IV, Johnson Atelier helped translate this research into physical form. Our team supported the project by creating detailed digital scans and models based on 19th-century historical books, sourcing foundry partners for bronze casting, and using innovative resin 3D printing to develop smaller prototypes. We are honored to have contributed to a work that foregrounds the lives and legacies of those who shaped Roanoke College’s foundations, creating a permanent space for remembrance and reflection.
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