The Online Reflector

By Nicki Crisci, Opinion Editor

Walking around the university, students may notice vibrant colors of yellows and reds or the piercing gleam of steel that comes from the addition of sculptures that have been added to the previous year’s pieces. These sculptures, 17 in all, are part of the university’s sculpture walk.

For the past three years, the university has brought in sculptures, which can be seen from different points on campus. The arrival of such pieces all stemmed from the Universal Continuum piece outside Krannert Memorial Library that was donated by alumni for the university’s centennial anniversary in 2002.

“The centennial piece became a focal point of the campus,” said Dee Schaad, chair and professor of art and design. “If you look at all the campus brochures, it’s always in everything. It really shows you the importance of sculptures on our campus.”

The Sculpture Walk saw its beginnings three years ago when Schaad found that other communities had such pieces around. Schaad thought the university should consider having sculptures and was able to receive an inquiry grant from Lilly to begin the project.

The particular pieces on campus were collected through advertisements in the Art Calendar, which asked artists to submit art for inclusion in the campus sculpture walk. The artists, he said, were then asked to rent out their work for a year. At the end of the year, they pick up their work.

“We select pieces that we want and we deal with them in a way that seems most appropriate for the campus,” Schaad said. In the first year of the program the department had 30 entries to choose from and ended up with six. Now in the third year, there are 16 sculptures on campus chosen from hundreds of submissions.

The pieces are not restricted to the locality of Indiana, however. The Art Calendar advertises nationally and, Schaad said, provides equal opportunities for every artist. For instance, University of Indianapolis graduate student Catherine Schlebecker submitted a piece after seeing a posting from the Indianapolis Arts Council, and it was selected. Her piece, “Flowers and Wallpaper” now resides near the Sease Wing of the library.

“I was ecstatic when I found out my piece was chosen. I love where my sculpture is. It fits beautifully between the trees in the outdoor setting,” Schlebecker said.

Among the pieces that are located across campus, nine are new this year: “Jacob’s ladder,” “Dot to Dot,” “Temple XVIII,” “Numinous Wedge,” “Caterpillar,” “Freedom’s Folly,” “Quit Whining,” “Sol y Sombra” and”Adam and Eve.” The locations to these new pieces are mapped out on UIndy’s art department Web site.

<img src=”http://reflector.uindy.edu/images/0708/issue8/art.jpg” />

According to Schaad, a number of the pieces have been donated to the university, put on permanent loan—meaning that the artist still retains the right to take the piece, but lets the campus hold onto it—or purchased. The other pieces are only rented for a year by the artist or, recently, for a two-year period. Another change to the sculpture walk this year is the welcoming of another sponsor: Fifth Third Bank.

This year, according to Schaad, the arts office heard that Fifth Third Bank supported art initiatives and contacted the bank to see if they were interested.

“The regional president of Fifth Third Bank was down here visiting the branch, looked at our campus and wanted to support it. They now help sponsor the project,” Schaad said.

Next year, Schaad is determined to get larger quality pieces and add more locations for statues so the university will be seen as an art-friendly campus. He said that once people see these works of art, they will be more likely to want to submit pieces.

“My hope is that after completing my graduate work at UIndy, I will continue to make more public sculptures,” Schlebecker said.

The next big project the department is anxiously awaiting, Schaad said, is the renovation of Hanna Avenue so that the art can be showcased out on the avenue.

This, he said, will draw more interest and prospective students.

For now, the sculpture walk continues to grow in pieces, and students can view these works on daily trips through campus.