UCA officials yesterday announced that a design by Minneapolis artist Andrew Leicester was selected for UCA’s Public Art for Alumni Circle Centennial Project.
Leicester has been working internationally in public art since the 1970s and has won numerous awards for his projects. His resume includes 45 projects in the categories of Public Art, Arts for Transit, Public Art Masterplans, Private Installations and Commissioned Designs since 1974 all across the United States as well as in the United Kingdom and Australia.
“Andrew Leicester is certainly a star in the public art arena,” said Gayle Seymour, associate dean of the College of Fine Arts and Communication and chair of the university?s Public Art Committee. “His design will enrich the built environment of the university and provide intellectual stimulation for the campus community.”
The request for qualifications for the Centennial project drew 149 submissions from 32 states. The project?s goal is to transform Alumni Circle, the area bordered by Torreyson Library, Old Main and Harrin Hall, into a pedestrian plaza, with artwork that will reference the history and traditions of the institution, highlight current achievements and articulate the Centennial theme, “New Vision, New Century.”
Leicester said he was delighted to hear that his design had been chosen by two selection committees with the final approval of President Lu Hardin.
“The objective of the design is to create an outdoor place on campus that is full of details that depict aspects of campus history and provides useful areas for students, faculty, staff, alumni and visitors to congregate,” Leicester said. “It is intended that the area be used day and night. Specifically, being adjacent to the library, it is hoped that students will see it as a natural extension of the library, and use it to do research, and on a broader note, hold meetings and classes. Also, with the lighting in the pavilions and along the fence, it should be an attractive place to hang out in during the warmer weather.”
The university launched a national design competition Jan. 1 inviting artists to submit their resumes and evidence of their past work/examples. A student advisory panel consisting of 13 UCA students representing a wide range of interests on campus reviewed the submissions and made recommendations to the student representative on the University?s Public Art Selection Panel, which also includes UCA faculty, staff and administration as well as art specialists from off campus. That panel then narrowed the submissions to 17 semifinalists and ultimately the top five.
Other finalists were Alice Adams of New York City, Jackie Ferrara of New York City and Barbara Grygutis of Tucson. Cliff Garten of Venice, Calif., was another finalist, but he pulled out of the competition prior to the presentation of the finalists? designs.
“Andrew Leicester’s design for Alumni Circle was extraordinary,” Hardin said. “Students, faculty, staff and alumni will be able to use Alumni Circle, but at the same time it will have a distinctive architectural design that will become part of UCA’s tradition, just like Harding Centennial Fountain. I was very impressed with the quality of all of the designs that were submitted. I feel fortunate to have an individual of Andrew Leicester’s national renown design this important work.”
Leicester said work on the project would continue after today?s announcement with meetings with members of the campus community as well as the public to refine his concept design. A public meeting with Leicester will be held today from 3 to 5 p.m. in McCastlain 143.
