Learn more at artmuseum.wvu.edu.
JOYCE ICE Retired Director, Art Museum of WVU
PICK 1: Shy, 1998, Brighton Sango (1958-1995), serpentine, 40’ x 20,’ Gift of John F. and Ruth B. McGee.
"This sculpture with its elegant, curved form suggests motion and stillness at the same time. A subtle sense of shyness adds to its graceful simplicity."
PICK 2: Spirit of Growth, 2015, Wayne Trapp (1945-2016), stainless steel, 11’6” x 3’ x 4,’ Purchase of the sculpture was made possible by funds donated by George and Viera Trapp.
"This sculpture, outside the Art Museum’s west entry, stands on a slight rise, much like a sentinel keeping watch over the Nath Sculpture Garden."
ROBERT BRIDGES Curator, Art Museum of WVU
PICK 3: Bridge, 2016, He Zhenhai (b. 1958), limestone and stainless steel, 16’ x 6’ x 16,’ Myers Acquisition Fund.
"This monumental public work is the largest and by far heaviest piece in the museum’s collection. Chinese artist He Zhenhai came to visit WVU and started this work by hand selecting and carving the two vertical limestone blocks. The stainless steel lintel was created in China, and the three elements were combined to create a gateway to the art museum. The artist said the title Bridge refers to the bridge of friendship extended between the United States and China."
PICK 4: Steel Sonata, c. 1995, Odell Prather (1912-2001), cor-ten and stainless steel, 109” x 91 ¼” x 30 ½, Gift of Woodmere Art Museum, Philadelphia.
"An abstract sculpture constructed with several tall, flat cut sheets of cor-ten steel with stainless steel pipes standing on a flat metal base. The artist has an interest in ecclesiastical art, and the abstracted form is reminiscent of a chalice used in religious ceremonies. The viewer who happens upon the piece in the context of our Nath Sculpture Garden might also see a reference to a blooming tulip."
When you’re next on West Virginia University’s campus, take a walk. Beside the Art Museum of WVU, interlaced with trees, are seven sculptures created by Chinese, American and Shona artists. This is the Nath Sculpture Garden, named in honor of retired professors Charlotte Nath and her husband, the late Joginder Nath. Inside the garden, time slows down as your focus narrows to the art and the path and what it could mean to you.
Learn more at artmuseum.wvu.edu.
Shy, 1998, Brighton Sango (1958-1995), serpentine, 40’ x 20,’ Gift of John F. and Ruth B. McGee.
"This sculpture with its elegant, curved form suggests motion and stillness at the same time. A subtle sense of shyness adds to its graceful simplicity," said Joyce Ice, retired director, Art Museum of WVU.
Spirit of Growth (pictured at the top), 2015, Wayne Trapp (1945-2016), stainless steel, 11’6” x 3’ x 4,’ Purchase of the sculpture was made possible by funds donated by George and Viera Trapp.
"This sculpture, outside the Art Museum’s west entry, stands on a slight rise, much like a sentinel keeping watch over the Nath Sculpture Garden," Ice said.
Bridge, 2016, He Zhenhai (b. 1958), limestone and stainless steel, 16’ x 6’ x 16,’ Myers Acquisition Fund.
"This monumental public work is the largest and by far heaviest piece in the museum’s collection," said Robert Bridges, curator of the Art Museum of WVU. "Chinese artist He Zhenhai came to visit WVU and started this work by hand selecting and carving the two vertical limestone blocks. The stainless steel lintel was created in China, and the three elements were combined to create a gateway to the art museum. The artist said the title Bridge refers to the bridge of friendship extended between the United States and China."
Steel Sonata, c. 1995, Odell Prather (1912-2001), cor-ten and stainless steel, 109” x 91 ¼” x 30 ½, Gift of Woodmere Art Museum, Philadelphia.
"An abstract sculpture constructed with several tall, flat cut sheets of cor-ten steel with stainless steel pipes standing on a flat metal base," Bridges said. "The artist has an interest in ecclesiastical art, and the abstracted form is reminiscent of a chalice used in religious ceremonies. The viewer who happens upon the piece in the context of our Nath Sculpture Garden might also see a reference to a blooming tulip."