F E AT U R E S
A World View
on the Courtyard W
hen we closed commission a piece of campus campus in March artwork to commemorate the of 2020, few had courage of our community in any idea of when a return to our the face of the pandemic. beloved spaces would be possible. Julia reached out to former After a virtual graduation for staff member, alumna, and art the Class of 2020, disappointconsultant Lisa Lindenbaum ’97 ing news came that we would for leads on Bay remain teaching Area sculptors who and learning in might be interested a remote fashion in creating a piece for at least the for the school. Lisa first semester of used her vast net2020–21. Head work and experiof School Julia ence to reach out to Eells turned interested sculpa part of her tors. She collaboattention to welrated with faculty coming a return member and Art to campus when History instructor it was possible. Linda Fleming, Artist Rachel Damian, In concert with who engaged her the redesign and students in the final selection of construction of two humanities the piece. In the fall, the class classrooms whose doors would was given five finalist pieces to now open to the courtyard, Julia choose from. They undertook wanted to place a new piece of a three-week process including outdoor art near the classroom meeting with Julia to hear her entrances. Thanks to the support thoughts on the commission, of families from the Class researching each artist and each of 2020, the school piece, presenting their findings was able to to the class, discussing the artists, and, finally, voting on a final piece. Their final choice was a piece by Linda Fleming, a sculptor based in the Bay Area. Linda has been on the faculty at multiple California art schools over the past 30
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U H S J o u r n a l | FALL 2021
years, and her pieces have been featured in exhibitions across the country. Rachel says, “The students really took the lead on this project and were very invested in the process.” The Art History students who were directly involved in researching and advocating for this particular piece were David Wignall ’21, Emilia Fowler ’21, Gaby Garcia ’22, and Katie Hartel ’21. FROM THE CLASS’S PRESENTATION: “Through her work, Fleming tries to capture intangible aspects of nature in sculpture, exploring the shapes that the wind, gases, and sound might take. Her unique use of negative space is heavily inspired by a course she took in college on particle physics. Through her work, she seeks to combine science and intellectual curiosity with art.This combination of the academic and creative reflects the multifaceted identities of UHS students and their diverse array of interests. “The warm hues in Fleming’s ‘Worlds’ portray a joyful and welcoming mood. The delicate, yet complex, curved paths from the intersecting rhomboids connect with the intellectual complexity of UHS students. Adding on, the delicate and airy form of the piece, ‘Worlds,’ demonstrates the freedom and autonomy UHS students have in forming their own path.
The ‘Worlds’ piece also connects with UHS values such as inquiry, care, integrity, agency, and interconnection. The artwork’s fusion of creativity and intellectual devotion resonates with University students’ tendency of being curious and open-minded, embodying the value of inquiry. The intricate and infinite paths formed by the piece connect with the value of agency demonstrating UHS students’ ability to explore new paths and take risks. The connecting paths of the piece emphasize the values of interconnection, integrity, and care, as the paths are all connected to one another, reflecting University’s inclusivity of its community of diverseminded students. The warm hues of ‘Worlds’ will bring vibrancy to the courtyard. The piece’s delicate, weightless form will draw attention to it without overpowering the courtyard’s space. The fact that the piece seems to change shape due to the alteration of its shadows throughout the day gives it a semi-kinetic element, making it interactive to the audience.” Linda Fleming came to campus in May to see the installation and to meet with the Art History students. Being involved in the selection and installation of a public piece of art was a unique opportunity for the Art History class, and this piece of community art celebrates the reopening of campus while recognizing the courage, compassion, and tenacity of the UHS community. n
