By Jan Wopperer
The sculptures that are scattered all over
the Buffalo State College campus can be seen every day when
students walk from one building to the other.
Do we even notice them anymore?
They seem to be everywhere: in the library,
Moot Hall, quite a few on the lawns between buildings and
a big scary-looking one outside the Student Union. They’re
on walls, behind rails and in pools. There’s even
one you can sit in outside the Study Quad in the lobby.
Many may wonder where these all come from.
A lot of the sculptures - like the one shown in the first
photo - are from Buffalo State’s past and present
art students.
Others, like the Butler Ice Fountain, which
is made of steel, are produced by widely known artists from
different areas of the country and the world.
The ice fountain was made by Norwegian artist
Carl Nesjar and was given to Buffalo State by the Butler
Foundation and Kate Butler Whickham on Oct. 27, 1983. The
steely sculpture is turned on when temperatures are 20 degrees
or below. It sits in a shallow pool, which presently also
serves as an ash tray and trash can.
When asked about the sculptures on campus,
junior Paul Brunskole said, “I really don’t
pay that much attention to the sculptures ... the ice one
sorta looks
cool when it’s actually frozen, but when it’s
not, it’s kinda rough.”
The “Universe Wheel” sits between
Cleveland and Bacon halls. It was designed and sculpted
by Alice Aycock and was specifically designed to fit in
that location. The sculpture is white, is extremely large
and looks like it would be fun to climb on.
“I think the Universe Wheel is pretty
cool because it reminds me of a sun dial and adds character
to the campus ... anything that adds to the beauty of the
campus is fine with me,” said Nadia Pizzaro, a senior
at Buffalo State who’s majoring in journalism.
“Babi Yar,” “Metaphors”
and “Dawn’s Image, Night” are among the
many sculptures that can be found on all floors of the Butler
Library. Babi Yar and Metaphors are on the second floor
in the southeast section, and Dawn’s Image is on the
upper wall of the reference room facing the windows.
The eight-foot “Babi Yar” made of elm and painted
white, was sculpted by Joseph Bolinsky in memory of the
thousands of people killed by the Nazis in Southern Russia.
It was made in 1975 and donated in 1987.
“Metaphors” stands next to it
and is made of black walnut. Originally located
in Moot Hall and relocated to its present
location in 1990, sculptor Wesley Brett Jr. intended to
show the path of education, which he believed leads students
to understanding and truth.
“Dawn’s Image, Night” is
a piece created by Russian-born Louise Nevelson, who was
famous for her wooden sculptures. She carved it and painted
it black in 1968 and gave to Buffalo State in 1969 to display
in the foyer of the of the Campus School. It has since been
moved to its present location in the library.
“Cock-a-doodle-doo,” created
by artist Billie Lawless in1981 stands in front of Upton
Hall, next to Bulger. This brightly colored steel structure
is 20 feet tall.
The pair of lions near Rockwell Hall are
architectural fragments from the Erie County Savings Bank,
which was built in 1854.
“Steppe,” made during 1969 and
1970, is in front of Twin Rise. It is one of a number of
pieces produced by several artists who held an exhibition
at Buffalo State at around the same time of the opening
of buildings designed by Perkins and Will.
Whether students appreciate them or not,
the sculptures of Buffalo State carry the visions of their
creators with them to the campus in a variety of media and
styles, lasting examples of their artists’ life work.
Jan Wopperer can be reached at jannygrl1@yahoo.com
For more information:
Sights: http://www.buffalostate.edu/sights.xml
E.H. Butler Library page about sculptures on campus:
http://www.buffalostate.edu/ibrary/about/art
Butler Ice Fountain:
http://www.buffalostate.edu/library/archives/butler.html
College page about sculptures on campus: http://buffalostate.edu/sculpture.xml
Perkins and Will: http://www.perkinswill.com/
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