2008 Woodie Awards
Zebra tapestry showcases 'marriage of engineering and art'
By Jennifer Cox
Issue date: 3/6/08 Section: Culture
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Ruth Grover, director and curator of galleries, exhibitions and collections, said, "Alexander Calder is one of the most significant artists of the [21st] Century."
According to Grover, the tapestry is on loan from the Nancy Bowen Wiggins' collection.
"Ms. Wiggins's took this as an opportunity to share her piece with students," Grover said.
"It is hard to get students to notice art since students are so busy," Grover said. "The goal of putting the piece in the library was to draw general campus traffic and make it easy for students to access the piece."
The piece is on display next to the elevators on the first floor.
"We wanted to see students get excited about having art on campus and not just in the gallery," Grover said.
Grover said students should take a close look at the piece and maybe even do a little research into the background of the artist and his inspiration for "Zebra."
"The piece is made from jute that was hand-woven in Calder's specified design," Grover said. "This piece is indicative of Calder's style."
According to Grover, Calder had a background in engineering and it showed in his art.
"This marriage of engineering and art gives the non-art major a sense of what art is," Grover said. "It brings the experience across the academic spectrum."
Bill Prince, professor and reference librarian, has a clear view of the piece and has noted students' interest.
"Students will stop and look at the piece as they come in and leave the library," Prince said. "To me it looks like waves on a beach, the way the lines of the piece look from a distance.
"This piece is a welcome new addition to the library, and hopefully, there will be new artwork added to more public spaces on campus," Prince added.
According to Prince, the loan of the Zebra piece introduced a new use for library space.
"This piece establishes a precedent and hopefully art will continue to be displayed in the library," Prince said.
Deandra Mitchell, a Gallatin, Tenn., sophomore, said more art should be displayed around campus.
"The 'Zebra' piece makes the library seem more decorative and is inspiring to look at when I'm working in the library," Mitchell said.
"Next time I go to the library, I'll look more closely at the piece," she said.
Calder's piece will be on display until May. Donor Nancy Wiggins wrote in an e-mail that it will then be stored because of ultraviolet light filtration concerns.
"I have had the special film placed on my windows in my homes to keep the [UV] damage to a minimum," Wiggins said. "When I don't exhibit my works, I store them in boxes and wrappings that are dark and are typically air tight, in climate-controlled storage."
