A man of great intelligence, adventure, imagination and vision with many and varied interests, Mark Landrum had a vision for giving that went beyond the usual limits. This past year, the ecu foundation, Inc. was fortunate enough to be on the receiving end of his generosity.
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SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE Marquis Landrum bequeathed a significant share of his personal art collection to the ECU Foundation, Inc. in honor of his mother Ruth, who taught at ECU in the 1930s. He credited her with instilling in him a love of music and the arts. “It is unbelievable that the ECU Foundation is loaning this amazing collection to the University,” Dr. Taryn Chubb, assistant professor of art, said. The Ruth Walker Landrum Collection, which opened in August 2013, includes 27 three-dimensional works, almost entirely of non-western origin, housed in various galleries throughout the Hallie Brown Ford Fine Arts Center. Items range from the eight stone sculptures from Southeast Asia on display in the Inasmuch Sculpture Garden to a funeral shroud from Peru, a Thai vessel encrusted with sea life from the bottom of the ocean to a forged iron knife from the Sudan. The single western work is a flint Celt from Denmark. Antiquities co-exist with 20th Century pieces. Four hundred pound sculptures share space with hand-held drinking cups.
“The donation was a significant boom to this university,” Dr. Brad Jessop, director of the school of fine arts, said. “It filled in the gaps with our current collection.” LIMITLESS OPPORTUNITIES Art students and their professors have been studying and researching the works since installation. “It has really furthered my understanding of art,” said Chelsie Austin, graphic arts major from Morris. “We can understand the history of the island people, their culture, how they valued their ancestors and the impact their art had on their tribe. It has really been a fun experience.” Students, along with their teachers and workers from the Physical Plant, installed the pieces after they arrived. They are actively involved in maintaining the works including making adjustments, dusting the cabinets, leveling items and building pedestals. They also keep a watchful eye over the collection during the day. “It is an experience most undergraduates do not get,” Chubb said. “They will be at an advantage when they go to graduate school. Most of their colleagues
will not have had this type of hands-on experience.” Music majors also have benefited from Landrum’s generosity. Skye Garcia challenged his music composition class to write an original work inspired by pieces in the sculpture garden. Stephen Timperley, instrumental music major from Tecumseh, composed “To the Napu” (2014) after touring the exhibit. “I was inspired to write a piece based on the music where the sculptures originated, the Napu Valley and other areas of the Indonesian Islands in the Far East,” Timperley said. “After I looked into the music of the area, the idea quickly became a challenge. With the exotic scales and instruments impossible to mimic, I decided to step out of the box a bit and create a modern version of my take on the style, using instruments I had at my disposal.” BOOM FOR THE COMMUNITY Traffic in the HBFFAC has accounted for 10,200 visitors to the collection since its debut. Landrum’s gift helps further establish Ada and the Arts District as a tourist destination and cultural hub for southeast Oklahoma. “These acquisitions have made ECU home to the best collection of artworks between Dallas and Norman and add The Columns 19
