Sculpture Students Construct Public Artwork on Campus

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18 Verticals, 70 Horizontals, created by Adam Crosson and Robert Lemming

An eight foot tall sculpture, 18 Verticals, 70 Horizontals, created by University of Arkansas graduates Adam Crosson and Robert Lemming, is being installed on the southeast lawn of the Fine Arts Building. It will be officially dedicated during a catered reception from 4:30 – 7 p.m. Monday, May 7 at the site. The reception is free and open to the public.

This work of public art is scheduled to be on display for the next five years.

Both Crosson and Lemming are working with the Department of Art to create and install the sculpture. Crosson is a graduate of the Fay Jones School of Architecture and is currently pursuing post baccalaureate studies in sculpture. Lemming graduated with his bachelor's degree in sculpture from the University of Arkansas in December 2011 and recently held his first solo exhibition at sUgAR, the University of Arkansas Student Gallery, in Bentonville.

18 Verticals, 70 Horizontals is made primarily of cedar and poplar, which has been shaped using cold bending and bent lamination techniques. It is formed in the general shape of a coil, illuminated from the interior, and scaled so that viewers may enter the work. The design evolved from a site-specific collaborative project assignment introduced last year to students enrolled in ARTS 3213 Sculpture II: Construction Methods and Mixed Media and ARTS 4213: Mixed Media and Spatial Context, courses instructed by assistant professor Bethany Springer. Spatial experience, patterns of pedestrian movement on campus, and a balance of handcrafted and automated form all ultimately contributed to the design.

This collaborative initiative was made possible through the generous support of the Associated Student Government, the Contemporary Sculpture Society and NWA Steel.

The site lighting equipment was  donated by the Curtis Stout Company of Little Rock.

The installation itself required the expertise and effort of the facilities management staff, including associate vice chancellor Mike Johnson; Jerry Ramey and Jack Willis, from the carpentry shop; Alex Ford III and Gary Williams from the paint shop; Randall Ramey and Rodney Hughes from the electrical shop; Robert Caudle and Matthew Stafford, from the grounds shop; Jay Shackelford and Robbie Pierson from the plumbing shop; and Kelley Sharp and Warren Pingel from construction services. Guidance and support was also generously provided by Tim LaTourette and Rachel Smith in the Fay Jones School of Architecture, Jeannie Hulen and Bethany Springer in the Department of Art, and the university landscape and grounds committee.

A special thanks goes to Jill Anthes, campus planner, for her leadership, organization, and energy in procuring resources for the project.