If college is about learning … college at Southeast Missouri State University is learning by doing.
Southeast students in the Department of Art are working on a unique project that’s giving them knowledge about public sculptures, design and installation. The project will also be bringing a little beauty into their own environment on full display in the roundabout near the River Campus at Fountain and Morgan Oak Streets. It’s a project Professor Chris Wubbena says has long been in the works at least in theory.
"The city and the University have wanted art in the roundabout for quite a while, and I’ve been talking to them about it since the beginning. It’s gone through many phases, but we finally settled on creating something that students could work on."
Wubbena designed the piece, and students are fabricating it. He says they’re learning not just about creating a large scale public sculpture but the process of working on any art in the public square, or in this case, circle. An experience that will prove beneficial in their future artistic careers.
"They are involved in every aspect in the creation of the sculpture. This really gives them experience they can't otherwise get. I've worked with students before, but nothing this large or with this many students. We have six students hired to work on the sculpture, each chosen for their skill and interest. It's been a great experience. The students are completely invested and are really stepping up. I'm incredibly happy with all of their performance and very proud."
You can see the fruits of their labor by the end of the month. Wubbena hopes the sculpture should be installed in late July, providing an increased aesthetic for the region’s cultural arts center as well as a testament to the abilities of its students.
As always … more information is available at River Campus Dot Org and I hope to see you soon at the Box Office!
