5 minute read
MCC Sculpture
By Jessica Hubbard Art has long been an expression of human creativity, a medium to connect communities and spur imagination . When Naomi DeWinter, president of the Muscatine Community College (MCC), learned of a grant being offered through the Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs, she jumped at the chance to apply . “The goal in applying for the grant was to help make the campus a place to enjoy, a space where you could ‘run’ into a piece of art,” says DeWinter .
Not only would an art installation breathe life into the campus, it would also offer the opportunity for collaboration between an artist, faculty, and students . A blending of individuals coming together to share ideas and a vision of what they could accomplish together as a team . Upon receiving the grant in 2019, the wheels of creation began to turn . Locating an artist to lead the project was key in getting things up and running . Identified by Melanie Alexander, Director of the Muscatine Art Center, artist John VandeWalle was invited to participate in the creative process . A Midwest native, born and raised in Rock Island, Illinois, VandeWalle, an abstract artist and selftaught welder, was excited to be recruited for the project . “This was the first time I’d been asked to work on a collaboration of a public sculpture of this size . It was cool to get all these people together . ”
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MCC Ag students began researching similar art projects . Pulling the college welding department into the mix was next on the agenda . With plans to display the sculpture on campus in early 2020, MCC students along with VandeWalle began gathering supplies for the beginning stages of the sculpture . From repurposing old farm equipment to utilizing a state of the art plasma cutter, ideas for the art piece began to take shape .
Unfortunately, the pandemic had other plans for the project .
With in-person classes on hiatus and businesses and organizations closing their doors for an undetermined amount of time, it was
uncertain what the impact on the creation of the sculpture would be . However, VandeWalle said there was a silver lining under it all, “Ideas flowed even when everything else had come to a standstill . We had more time to think and plan . The idea of the project grew . ”
Despite a 16 month lull, VandeWalle, students, and faculty stayed in contact, sharing their thoughts of what they imagined the finished project to look like . The end goal was to create a piece of art that highlighted the history of agriculture in Iowa . MCC Farm Management and Agribusiness Management instructor, Julia Dieckman recalls the process, “It was a great experience watching our agriculture students work together to come up with ideas for what the sculpture could become . They shared their vision with the welding department and sculptor who helped bring that vision to life .”
In addition to the Ag and welding students, short-term MCC course participants and students from the Muscatine High School were also involved in the project collaboration . As the process continued, ideas flowed, and connections made were key to completion . Christopher Kramer, MCC’s Welding/Manufacturing instructor felt each individual involved learned something new and played an integral role in the work . “I have always enjoyed welding but I have never done a sculpture like the one we did with John . I learned so much from John, he has a very creative mind . It was a blast watching him work with the students and watch this sculpture come together bit by bit . The students really enjoyed learning from John and helping John with this as well . It’s one thing to weld but it’s another thing to create and build, all three things came together on this sculpture . ”
Almost 2 years after the initial concept came into existence, the sculpture is now on display outside at the Muscatine Community College campus . Located on the quad, the space is open to the public and can be viewed in every season . Next on tap will be a contest to officially name the sculpture . Dieckman adds, “We are very fortunate to have a beautiful piece of art created by our students that represents Iowa agriculture on our campus .”
To learn more about the sculpture, please contact Naomi DeWinter, president of Muscatine Community College at ndewinter@eicc .edu . n
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