Shedding light on St. Joe’s artistic installments
Looking out over the road that splits our campus in two, members of the Saint Joseph’s University community can catch a glimpse of heaven by simply standing on McShain Bridge; this popular, Instagram-worthy site features a fantastic view of St. Joe’s campus.
But the McShain Bridge isn’t the only spot on campus where one can experience serenity. In fact, it’s far from it. Recently, Campus Ministry worked to make an easily accessible space on central campus that all students can visit for reflection and thought. The spot is located relatively close to the McShain Bridge—on the right of its underpass behind the chapel, to be exact.
This new grotto features a sculpture of Saint Joseph, a piece of art that was donated to the university in 1927. At first glimpse, it appears that this sculpture has been oddly placed. A peaceful depiction of Saint Joseph—accompanied by a quaint garden and simple bench—has been erected behind the fence that separates campus from City Ave. Still, Saint Joseph,the father of Jesus, rests strong and supportive in the shadows of campus.
The new sculpture is by no means the only piece of art that exists on campus, or that is highly-recognizable, on Hawk Hill. Pieces of art in various media are scattered throughout campus. Across the McShain Bridge in Merion Hall, for example, a steady stream of students walk by the second-floor exhibition “The Forest of History” by Myung Gyun You every day.
On the same side of campus, Claver House, a study spot reserved for Honors students, houses religious imagery found in paintings done by Dennis McNally, S.J., professor of art. Farther down Lapsley Lane sits Boland Hall; its fire engine red door is hidden between moss and green shrubbery. Inside, students will find a modern art gallery in which with art pieces created by Saint Joseph’s students and alumni coexist. “Love and Anger,” for example, a set of muted, intricate sculptures, incorporates work by alumni Tara Vaughan, ’14, and Morgan Twist, ’14.
Speaking of alumni, back across campus, nestled below the stairs from Mandeville to Barbelin, three larger-than-life orange tricycles give color to the greenery behind them. John Post, ’60, sculpted and donated these other pieces around campus.
We have the privilege on this campus to experience art as we walk to class, as we sit and study, and as we catch up with friends. The different styles represent the blend of different artists that coexist on our campus, from professionals to alumni, professors, faculty, and students themselves.
Each piece tells a different story. Religious statues, sculptures, and paintings might call some students to pause and reflect. The many faces of past university presidents sculpted into the Barbelin Courtyard should invite students to think about St. Joe’s history. The oversized everyday items found throughout Merion Hall allow us all insight into the perspectives of the students who created them. These are just a few examples of the wealth of opportunities we have on campus to contemplate and appreciate artistic expression. Student and alumni pieces share the identity and experience of our fellow Hawks, and this is something that we, as students, should appreciate. The works serve to create space for us to think about the meanings behind the art and how it relates to our place on this campus.
This experience also contributes to how artists understand themselves as part of the greater St. Joe’s community. They, too, reflect part of the mission and values of the university as it exists today from their perspective.
No matter which medium of artistic expression speaks to you, the point is to make you stop and think. The function of art on this campus is to cause us to pause, contemplate, and draw conclusions about how it relates to our experience—both individual and collective—and what the artist themselves may have desired to communicate. So as you move through campus today, take a second to recognize and appreciate the artwork.
– The Hawk Staff
