Transforming campus through public art
New painting on Davis Hall
USAO is the first educational institution in Oklahoma to collaborate with Oklahoma Art in Public Places to create publicly displayed art. President John Feaver said, “This project reflects the mission of the Oklahoma Art in Public Places program to use the arts to reflect the state’s unique history, spirit and diversity and to imbue the state with a vibrant sense of place.” He said, “The project also enhances USAO’s mission as the state’s public liberal arts college in providing the public a thorough education preparing and enriching students for meaningful, purposeful lives. Further, I view it in the larger context as a component in Chickasha’s economic development plan for enriching the environment with public art.”
A colorful, rich and mysterious painting – that thoughtfully captures the interdisciplinary USAO mission – greeted students as they arrived for Fall classes in 2011. Intricate and lush, the new work incorporates symbols drawn from literature, science, philosophy and history.
FLIGHT Created by sculptor Archie Held, this piece is inspired by Oklahoma’s state bird, the wideopen possibilities of life after college and the artwork of Native American artist Acee Blue Eagle, who painted murals in 1935 on the walls of the original gymnasium building on campus.
THE CIRCLE Conceived by Gracemont artist Carol Whitney, The Circle is fashioned from granite stones that tell a timeless story of hope, restoration and purpose. Using color, texture and geometric shapes to represent all directions, peoples and religions of the earth. An interactive artform, the sculpture invites visitors to walk or sit and think among the stones that served for more than 50 years as the foundation of Dr. Ingrid Shafer’s historic Chickasha home.
COMING TOGETHER Funded through gas well income, “Coming Together” was also created by sculptor Archie Held for the Student Center plaza and was installed in September 2009. As Held’s work is influenced from forms that “embody the essence of growth and strength,” this campus artwork symbolizes the college’s strong artistic and cultural connection to the Chickasha community.
HOPE When the Class of 1960 decided to celebrate its 50th anniversary year, members joined together to select the bronze statue that is located between Troutt and Austin halls. As stated by Paulette Pogue, “The class of 1960 encourages all who are on campus to visit her and think of the hope we had for our future. Because of the education we received at this university, the class of 1960 was able to latch on to that hope and make successes of our lives.”
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transformations
Conceived by Steve Breerwood, assistant professor of fine art, the painting was begun during the independent study period between the spring and summer trimesters in 2011 by Breerwood and a small team of students under his supervision. Student painters Wendy Chambers, a senior art major from Wayne, Okla., Sarah Job, a senior art major from Amber, Okla., and Kelsea Mallette, a junior art major from Spencer, Okla., gained invaluable experience. The painting, Breerwood says, explores themes of creativity as a universal force. “I knew it needed to include ideas that crossed disciplines. The two most prominent images are that of a muse and a lamp, suggesting the arts. Above, we can see the Milky Way and below, we have the bower bird, which represent the physical and natural sciences,” Breerwood explains. “I chose the satin bower bird specifically because the male of the species builds an arch-shaped bower out of thatched twigs and grasses. Then he’ll select only blue things to decorate the area around the bower. This is not a nest. The only purpose it serves to impress the female satin bower bird. When the female comes to visit the male, he will even work a dance performance into the presentation. The female chooses to mate with the male who is the best well-rounded artist. Though we can argue that what he does is driven by instinct, the result is a kind of art which ties back in to our theme of creativity.” The painting was completed using fast-drying acrylic paints and is Breerwood’s largest work. Breerwood, who joined USAO’s art faculty in 2007, earned his bachelor’s degree from Nicholls State University in Louisiana and his master of fine arts from Florida State University. He has exhibited his art in Louisiana, Oklahoma, Florida, New York, Georgia and Germany. Chambers worked with him on the project with him from the beginning. “He is a great painter and my mentor,” Chambers says. “It’s been a valuable experience to work beside him as he promotes both conceptual and technical development in his students.” There are numerous challenges to working on a painting of this size, Chambers says. “The hardest part is dealing with perspective, which tends to get distorted on this scale unless you are very careful. It’s hard breaking things down into pieces while remembering that they are part of a much larger whole.”