'Living canvas of light' to be built at Thanksgiving Point in massive, architectural landmark

LEHI — Throughout history, civilizations have created massive monuments to honor the divine and celebrate humanity. The newest project at Thanksgiving Point aims to continue the tradition by creating a "living canvas of light."

The Sphere of Light, which will be built in the Ashton Gardens, is planned to be a monumental stained-glass architectural landmark, with hundreds of handcrafted panels illustrating the story of humanity through 10,000 square feet of glass art.

Renowned glass artist Tom Holdman, of Holdman Studios in Lehi, first got the idea for Sphere of Light in 2016 when he was finishing "Roots of Knowledge," which took 12 years to create. Before being installed in its final location at UVU, the artwork was taken across the world.

While he was on the bank of the River Thames in London, Holdman walked the streets and saw all the lights reflected on the river and felt "the collective consciousness of humanity."

"This little seed comes down in my head, and I try to push it back as hard as I could because we were finished with our piece. But it came to my heart, and God said 'You can do this. You can show how we are so connected, no matter who you are, where you come from, we all have moments of genius within us,'" Holdman said.

Holdman didn't realize then just how long the project would take, but he knew it would change him as he undertook the challenge.

Across the estimated more than 300 glass panels, the designs will emulate seven "pillars of humanity": knowledge, creativity, faith, love, unity, freedom and courage.

"We are doing it, we are making the panels and helping people believe about how united we are, how we beat the same heartbeat," he said.

All of the stained glass panels will tell the story of the "sphere of light that is inside of us." As people go through life, it is their responsibility to shine their light to help others, and watch as their light grows when they connect with their fellow human beings, Holdman said.

"We will make not just a landmark, not just a piece of color in lead and steel, but we will bring emotion that will heal people and touch people and unite all of us," he said.

His wife and co-creator Gayle Holdman said although people have varying interpretations of divinity, she believes everyone acknowledges that we are part of something bigger than ourselves — that idea is a core principle behind the Sphere of Light.

"There are divine truths we all share even though we may not embrace the same religion or faith at all. The purpose of this art and this entire effort is to focus on the good, the noble and the truths that we have in common," she said.

The "pillars of humanity" help people embrace their greater purpose, increase their empathy for others and foster peace for the world, she said.

Just like a stained glass artwork where each piece is necessary to complete the picture, every person on earth has a purpose. If one piece is missing, "the fulfillment of the art is diminished."

"As the pieces come together to make one glorious whole, the stunning beauty of the entire work is realized," she said. "This is equally true with human beings."

Vision and spirit

Led by King Husein, the renowned engineer credited with designing the Costco warehouse structure, the Sphere of Light will be inside a specially designed steel-structured building, estimated to be the tallest stained-glass structure in the world.

Husein said initially his appreciation for art was only in paintings, not in stained glass. But a few years ago, he got a call from Holdman requesting he come visit his studio and view the stained glass that would be installed in the Rome Italy Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

"Tom had me stand in front of this artwork, and I could not walk away from it. I spent two hours there," Husein said. "I connected to the stained glass. There was spirit in his work."

Being part of the Sphere of Light is a project Husein "never dreamt of." When Holdman asked if Husein would consider building the project, he told him, "You can bend and do anything with glass, but I can't bend steel the way you want me to bend steel."

"But we found a way," Husein said.

Husein said it has taken a long time to get to the announcement of the project, but he hopes people will be inspired by the "vision and spirit" of the Sphere of Light and continue to support it.

Also called the "Center For Growth," the masterpiece aims to create an environment that "illuminates the divine light within every human soul and inspires them to share it," the Roots of Humanity Foundation said.

The project is planned to be finished in 2030 so it can be part of the Cultural Olympiad leading up to 2034 and be a major destination when the world comes to Utah for the Olympics.

"I'm anxious to start construction. I built the indoor practice facility at BYU in five months ... This will take longer than five, but we will get it done," Husein said.

The Holdmans were approached by other locations in the state and given significant offers to build it elsewhere, but Husein knew the Sphere of Light belonged at Thanksgiving Point. Generously, Alan and Karen Ashton donated the land from the Ashton Gardens for the project.

"We wanted to show our gratitude to our eternal creator. In each of us, there is a divine spark, and when we see something beautiful, we can appreciate it and want to do better," Alan Ashton said. "If everybody is working together and helping one another in love and support and freedom, there's nothing that we can't accomplish."

Karen Ashton said beauty transforms people by changing our hearts and minds. She knows people will come from all over the world to see the artworks in the Sphere of Light "because they are life-changing."

The first few completed panels of the Sphere of Light were unveiled Tuesday, but only about 10% of the glass for the Sphere of Light is completed, Gayle Holdman said.

"Our team moves forward with determination and conviction that this creation, the Sphere of Light, must exist. We believe it is part of our purpose, and we believe that our human family needs the peace, understanding, compassion, and connection that it will foster more than ever," Gayle Holdman said.

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