HWS Public Art Map

Squaring the Circle: Elements of Education

Artist: Jennica Ann Simon '24

Date: 2024

Another recent addition to campus was made by Jennica Ann Simon ’24. This bronze piece represents community, connecting and education as they represent the building blocks of education as they target the principle elements you learn as a child. Additionally, this is the first solo artist piece on campus done by a woman.

Elizabeth Blackwell

Artist: Ted Aub

Date: 1994

This bronze sculpture was created by Professor Ted Aub in 1994 in tribute to Elizabeth Blackwell, the first woman to receive a medical degree in the United States. This 800-pound sculpture was created by Aub over the course of 4 years, molded from clay, wax, and finally bronze. 

Yōōnədē

Artist: Advanced Sculpture Class & Ted Aub

Date: 2020

This piece, created in 2020 by the Advanced Sculpture class, was in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The hands coming together are an expression of hope and faith, showing the HWS campus coming together in unity during a time of hardship. The sculpture is composed of 44 hands in total, molded from the students’ own hands.

Urban Rising

Artist: Andrew Hellmund

Date: 2013-14

This sculpture was created by Andrew Hellmund ‘14 as part of an Honors Project on the “convergence of industry and nature.” This piece was purchased by the colleges after Hellmund received the Arthur Dove Award,  awarded to a “piece of art created by a student at the Colleges that in the judgment of the Awards Committee best expresses the essential spirit and ideas that Dove sought in his works.”

Sundial

Artist: Eric Oldfield and Sandy Jimenez; HWS Students for Independent Study project

Date: 1991

This sundial was an independent study project by Eric Oldfield ‘91 and Sandy Jimenez ‘92. It is accurate within the 10-minute range but does not account for Daylight Savings, so it is off by an hour during a portion of the year.

The Scissors

Artist: Students of Art 115 “Three Dimensional Design”

Date: 1989

The Scissors sculpture is a prominent feature of the HWS Campus but was never originally intended to be a permanent installation. Created by the 1989 class of Art 115 under Professor Ted Aub, the original sculpture was made of plywood, inspired by artist Claes Oldenburg who is known for creating large-scale sculptures of everyday objects. Shortly after being installed, the sculpture was vandalized and knocked over, causing many to be upset, including Ann Rago, who donated a steel replica of the sculpture to be installed permanently. Over time, many have debated the meaning of the scissors, some taking it to be symbolic of the coordinate system and the idea of two parts coming together as one. Professor Aub, however, disagrees with this interpretation, explaining how the students originally wanted to install it in front of the William Smith Dean’s office, meant as a critique of how the two colleges are cut off from each other. The true meaning of the Scissors has continued to be a subject of debate, chronicled in various articles in campus publications of “The Herald” and “The Martini.” Regardless of its meaning, this sculpture, although never intended to be, has become a lasting symbol of HWS.

Tilly

Artist: Ted Aub

Date: 2015

This small sculpture located behind Stern Hall was a tribute to a Campus dog, Tilly, who belonged to Professor Dunbar Moodie and his wife Meredith. Meredith, who battled with cancer, adored Tilly, so as a way to honor her life after her passing, Professor Moodie commissioned this sculpture to be made by Ted Aub. Aub says Tilly happily posed for him during the making of the sculpture.

East and West

Artist: Czong-Ho Kyim

Date: 2005

This sculpture was produced by Czong-Ho Kyim , a South Korean artist who was an artist-in-residence at HWS in 2005. The 10-foot sculpture took Kyim 3 weeks to finish, with the assistance of Owen Oertling ‘05, and represents East Asian philosophy of the duality of two forces. It utilizes “found objects” techniques, of which Kyim was the first Korean artist to experiment with.

William Smith

Artist: Ted Aub

Date: 2008

This William Smith sculpture was commissioned as a gift from the Trustees of Hobart College to William Smith College for their centennial celebration. The sculpture is on an incline to suggest the idea of walking up the WS Hill. He is holding a pine cone in one hand and a walking stick in the other, meant to represent the life cycle of a tree, from seed to final form. 

Calderesque

Artist: Art 315 Students & Ted Aub

Date: 1989

Found on the William Smith Hill, “Calderesque” was a group project produced by Professor Aub’s Fall ‘89 Art 315 students. Art 315 is the advanced Sculpture Workshop taught by Aub.

Monument to the Failings of Modernism

Artist: Bruce Putzig

Date: 1984

This prominent sculpture, made up of 1800 pounds of steel, was created by a Hobart Student as an Honors Project. It is a statement against modernistic architecture and is meant to represent a decaying skyscraper. Putzig was an Architecture Studies major and spent a year studying at the Frank Lloyd Wright School of Architecture in Scottsdale, AZ, as well as a year at the Institute of Architecture and Urban Studies in New York City.

After Hide

Artist: Andrew Hellmund

Date: 2020

Found directly in front of the Katherine D. Elliot Studio Arts center is a sculpture created by Andrew Hellmund '14 as a gift to the colleges. This piece honors the work of English-Canadian sculptor Peter Hide, which was a student and friend of Sir Anthony Caro, one of Hellmund's inspirations when making sculptures. The materials used for this piece are steel metal.

Advanced Sculpture Class Project

Found right across from the previous sculpture, this piece was a class project from the Advanced Sculpture workshop offered by Professor Ted Aub. As one of the smaller pieces on campus, it can be easy to miss when hidden by the tall grass but is worth taking a look at.

Unknown Honors Project

This sculpture is one of two found along the Arts Campus' pond. It utilizes the same metal materials as the two previous pieces and was created as an Honors Project.

Unknown Student Project

This play structure-like sculpture is the second piece placed next to the pond. The use of geometric shapes and the dome-like form make this piece an interesting one to walk around.

Untitled

Artist: Peter Luchetti

Date: 1977

This bold red sculpture is at the heart of the art campus as a student Peter Luchetti, class of '77, majored in Economics and minored in Art. Today he is the CEO / Managing Partner / Founder of Table Rock Capital L.L.C.

Untitled

Artist: 3D Design Students

Date: 2017

This sculpture was a final project for the Spring ‘17 3D Design Class under visiting Professor and HWS alum Patrick Kana. Kana specializes in furniture design and won an Arthur Dove Award for his Senior Honors Project in 2012. This sculpture was created as a public seating structure, able to fit around 10 people at a time.

Unknown Student Project

Tucked behind Houghton House, this sculpture has an almost industrial feel, with elements that recall parts of a machine. It was also a student project, utilizing similar materials as previous pieces.

Untitled

Artist: David Whippen 

Date: 2003

An Arthur Dove 03' Art Award, this reflective abstract sculpture is one of the first that is seen when driving into the Arts Campus down Houghton House Drive. It is composed of clean-cut geometric shapes welded together to form this interesting sculpture.

Crossed Lines

Artist: Art 315 Students 

Date: 1992

You might miss it while driving into the Arts Campus, but this installation created by the Spring ‘92 Art 315 Students is tucked between the trees on the winding Houghton Drive road. Take a moment to look at this piece from different angles, as the image morphs into different shapes depending on where you stand.