A WORLD VIEW ON THE COURTYARD

A World View

on the Courtyard

When we closed campus in March of 2020, few had any idea of when a return to our beloved spaces would be possible. After a virtual graduation for the Class of 2020, disappointing news came that we would remain teaching and learning in a remote fashion for at least the first semester of 2020–21. Head of School Julia Eells turned a part of her attention to welcoming a return to campus when it was possible. In concert with the redesign and construction of two humanities classrooms whose doors would now open to the courtyard, Julia wanted to place a new piece of outdoor art near the classroom entrances. Thanks to the support of families from the Class of 2020, the school was able to commission a piece of campus artwork to commemorate the courage of our community in the face of the pandemic. Julia reached out to former staff member, alumna, and art consultant Lisa Lindenbaum ’97 for leads on Bay Area sculptors who might be interested in creating a piece for the school. Lisa used her vast network and experience to reach out to interested sculptors. She collaborated with faculty member and Art History instructor Rachel Damian, who engaged her students in the final selection of the piece. In the fall, the class was given five finalist pieces to choose from. They undertook a three-week process including meeting with Julia to hear her thoughts on the commission, researching each artist and each piece, presenting their findings 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 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.

Linda Fleming, Artist

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