Skip to main content

Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock ( ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Advanced Search
Passage by Patricia Leighton (b. 1950, Greenock, Scotland) and Del Geist (b. 1943, Hazen, North Dakota)
Photo CreditPhoto credit: Laurentiu Garofeanu
Passage
Photo CreditPhoto credit: Laurentiu Garofeanu

Passage

Artist
Year2004
Classification environmental art
Medium earth and boulders
Dimensionslargest of 18 earthworks: 114 x 768 x 432 in. (289.6 x 1950.7 x 1097.3 cm)
smallest of 18 earthworks: 18 x 384 x 144 in. (45.7 x 975.4 x 365.8 cm)
largest of 5 boulders: 72 x 72 x 156 in. (182.9 x 182.9 x 396.2 cm)
smallest of 5 boulders: 48 x 48 x 120 in. (121.9 x 121.9 x 304.8 cm)
Credits Commissioned through the Art in Architecture Program
Fine Arts Collection
U.S. General Services Administration
Location
CollectionAt the Horizon: Art for the U.S. Border

  • For the U.S. Land Port of Entry in Roosville, Montana, artists Patricia Leighton and Del Geist created Passage, an outdoor installation inspired by the dramatic topography and rich geological history of northern Montana.


    Spanning 1,000 feet along the site’s main drive, Passage consists of a field of smoothly tapered earth mounds and a series of irregularly spaced boulders. The mounds echo the cirques, dunes, and drumlins that comprise much of the regional landscape, while the boulders—each of which is approximately 1.3 billion years old—reflect the vast power of time and geological processes. Positioned along the site’s north-south axis, the boulders allude to paths of trade and migration that have defined the region since the last glacial period, some 10,000 to 12,000 years ago. Passage creates a focus for reflection on the movement of time and people within the region.