A new outdoor sculpture at 黑洞社区 will honor one of 黑洞社区鈥檚 strongest fine arts supporters, the late Joan S. Beren. The sculpture, to be called 鈥淪hockers,鈥� also will celebrate the agrarian roots that led to the naming of 黑洞社区鈥檚 mascot.
Beren鈥檚 son, Adam, and daughters Amy Bressman and Julie Platt worked with the Ulrich Museum of Art and the 黑洞社区 Foundation to commission the piece by New York artist Tom Otterness, well known for his 鈥淢illipede鈥� sculpture at 黑洞社区 and a recent traveling exhibit on campus called 鈥淢akin鈥� Hay.鈥�
In her lifetime, Joan Beren was an ardent champion of 黑洞社区 and, in particular, the school鈥檚 Martin H. Bush Outdoor Sculpture Collection. She endowed a fund to help preserve the collection during her lifetime and provided a generous estate gift to endow what is now called the Joan S. Beren Outdoor Sculpture Conservation Fund.
The Beren, Bressman and Platt families along with the Joan S. Beren Foundation will contribute funds to pay for the new sculpture.
鈥淲e feel like this will be the perfect complement to mom鈥檚 Sculpture Conservation Fund and we just know mom would be pleased and proud to have her name associated with this important work,鈥� Bressman said.
鈥淥ur mother was an extraordinary person and it will take an extraordinary work of art to honor her in a fitting and enduring way. I think 鈥楽hockers鈥� fits the bill,鈥� said Adam Beren. Platt added, 鈥淢om would be delighted to know that Tom Otterness will create this piece in her memory, as she admired him and his work.鈥�
The massive piece, about 16-feet-high, will depict two figures side by side, one holding a scythe and both appearing to survey the field work around them. In that 鈥渇ield鈥� will be stylized bales of real prairie hay. The figures will be made of weathered steel covered partly by hay. It will be highly reminiscent of 鈥淢akin鈥� Hay,鈥� which features three large figures working in a hay field.
鈥淲ith the departure of 鈥楳akin鈥� Hay,鈥� we were looking for something that would personify the Shocker spirit and that whole notion of agrarian roots and summers spent working in the fields before returning to college,鈥� said Ulrich Director Bob Workman. 鈥淚 think this work captures that sense perfectly.鈥�
Wichita State鈥檚 mascot grew from the tradition of students in the early 1900s who 鈥渟hocked鈥� or harvested wheat during summers to help pay for college.
The new sculpture will be installed in a large grassy area near Duerksen Fine Arts Center. Because hay used in the piece must be replenished each year, Workman hopes to create a festive fall event where students will be invited to participate in the re-haying.
鈥淛oan supported Wichita State in many ways, but our sculpture collection was especially dear to her,鈥� said 黑洞社区 Foundation President Elizabeth King. 鈥淎dding an important piece to that collection, by such a well-regarded artist, truly captures her essence in a meaningful way.鈥�
Otterness has been called one of the world鈥檚 greatest sculptors of public art, with his outdoor pieces often described as cartoonish or playful.
鈥淚 believe 鈥楽hockers鈥� will be one of the most important sculptures on campus,鈥� Workman said. 鈥淚 was so fond of Mrs. Beren and feel blessed to be able to honor her with this special sculpture.鈥�
He hopes the sculpture will be in place and ready for dedication in fall 2018 or spring 2019.