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Tem & Ptah

two textured stones emerging from the prairie grasses that surround them.

About the Sculpture

The monoliths, Tem and Ptah, are perhaps the most controversial piece of public art in Lincoln. Many Lincoln residents disliked the sculpture when it was placed in the garden by the Old City Hall at 10th and "O" St. The artist, Jene Highstein believed that it would just take time for the city to grow to love the works. In February of 2005, the stones were moved to Centennial Mall between "Q" and "R" streets as the garden by Old City Hall was being renovated.

Each of the monoliths weigh between 10 and 15 tons and are made of smoothed black Pennsylvania granite. They were carved from rectangular blocks of granite, and shaped into the city's "lump and bump" as they have become affectionately known. "The sculpture is really about human beings. It's got to be more general than the history of Lincoln," Highstein said. He named the stones Ptah and Tem after the Egyptian sun gods. Ptah relates to sunrise and Tem to sunset. The stones then represent the lives of a passerby and a busy day.

two textured stones emerging from the prairie grasses that surround them.

two textured stones emerging from the prairie grasses that surround them, one closer and the other rising in the foreground.

About the Artist

Jene Highstein was born in 1942 in Baltimore, MD. He attended the University of Maryland where he earned a BA in philosophy in 1963. In 1966, he committed himself to art practice, studying drawing at the New York Studio School before attending the Royal Academy Schools in London. He earned a Post Graduate Diploma there in 1970. He received a number of awards and commissions throughout his career before passing on April 27th, 2013 in New York.

Additional Information

Tem Height: 9 ft.

Ptah Height: 5 ft.