Four and a Horse

February - May 2018

Miami University Sculpture

In February 2018 the advanced sculpture students at Miami University began a relationship with the Marquardt Middle School of school district 15 in West Chicago with the intent to have university sculpture students create five sculptures (four of their own design and one of a horse, Marquardt's mascot) that would be installed atop 12-foot tall poles in a newly constructed courtyard at the school.  This gives the Miami students an opportunity to create work professionally while also providing the middle school students a connection with higher education in the arts.  The Miami students visited Marquardt to meet with 6th and 7th grade students to learn about their concerns, dreams and curiosities.  They surveyed the students' favorite music, how they rated important aspects of their lives, and social justices issues they found compelling.  All of this became important information that would later inform the designs for the sculptures.  Back in Oxford, they began ideating, designing and fabricating.  The Miami studio was transformed into a special project space to support the venture, a website was created for the project, cameras were installed for stop-motion and live-feed video.  The middle school students can check in on the development of the sculptures via the website and by skyping with the Miami Students.  Since the original plan was designed, District 15 decided to install more poles to accommodate more sculptures, creating a sculpture garden at a middle school, so they relationship can continue for future students.  The items, audio and videos in this room are artifacts from the project, so far.

Sculptors:

Benjamin Delano, Benjamin Dysart, Joan Jana, Ezra Nepo, Laura Schorsch, Noah Schurr, Jess Behne

Professor:

Rod Northcutt

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