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The wall sculpture consists of one large star and six small stars connected by dots that represent the Ursa Minor constellation and the North Star which has been used as a guide for celestial navigation for over a thousand years.

When she submitted her design proposal, Ann Gardner wrote "Recently, looking at the night sky, I realized I've seen the Little Dipper every time I've ever seen stars. It's truly constant--you can look at the sky at night anywhere on the northern hemisphere and there it is, that beautiful constellation with the guiding North Star at the end of the handle. I am neither an explorer nor an astronomer, but instinctively I understand why the North Star has been used as a guide for celestial navigation. No matter where I am, I can locate it, and it locates me. For this reason, my proposal is about this guiding light of the North Star."

Mounted on the exterior north wall of the main building of the Shepherd Park Bus Facility in Southwest Washington, DC, North Star identifies the building from afar and 'navigationally' represent the place where buses return.

Ann Gardner is an American glass artist known for her large-scale sculptural and architectural installations. She is based in Seattle, WA.

This project was funded by WMATA as part of a capital project at the Shepherd Parkway Bus Garage.