Hoss Haley’s “Staurolite” sculpture will soon be installed outside the Apodaca Science Building of Western Carolina University. The sculpture is part of a larger initiative within the building that aimed to commission and purchase site-responsive artwork permanently displayed within the building’s footprint. Other artworks commissioned for Apodaca include glass works, a kinetic glass and steel sculpture, a bronze sculpture, a painting, and a ceramic work. The WCU Fine Art Museum’s curatorial team, in conjunction with the Public Art Committee and faculty in the arts and sciences, selected artwork and commissioned new works that have a meaningful connection to the building’s design concepts, the Cherokee history of the site, and the sciences practiced by students and faculty in the building. Hoss Haley’s sculpture, inspired by the Staurolite Twin, a native mineral found in Northern Georgia and Western North Carolina, will be installed outside the Apodaca Science Building’s front doors on April 10. Follow Bardo Arts Center on Facebook or Instagram to learn more about new installations in the building and find out more information about Hoss Haley’s artist talk about his new sculpture.
New Sculpture by Hoss Haley to be Installed Outside WCU’s Apodaca Science Building
Western Carolina University’s Apodaca Science Building will soon have a new sculpture installed outside its front doors. The sculpture, titled “Staurolite,” was created by Spruce Pine artist Hoss Haley and is part of a larger initiative within the building, spearheaded by WCU’s Public Art Committee and the WCU Fine Art Museum.
In 2018-2019, during the design phase of the Apodaca Science Building, the WCU Fine Art Museum and the university’s Public Art Committee advocated for funds in the construction budget to commission and purchase site-responsive artwork that would be permanently displayed within the building’s footprint. This led to the commissioning of several works for Apodaca, including glass works by Janis Miltenberger, a kinetic glass and steel sculpture by John Littleton and Kate Vogel, and a bronze sculpture by Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians artist Joshua Adams.
The museum also acquired a painting by current undergraduate student Amber Rousseau that connects to her research on bird window strikes on campus, as well as a ceramic work by Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians artist Joel Queen and the WCU Digali’i Native American Student Organization titled, “We only want to be seen as human,” that carries a powerful message about treating all individuals as human beings and as deserving of essential human rights.
The WCU Fine Art Museum’s curatorial team, in conjunction with the Public Art Committee and faculty in the arts and sciences, selected artwork and commissioned new works that have a meaningful connection to the building’s design concepts, the Cherokee history of the site, and the sciences practiced by students and faculty in the building. Faculty in geology, chemistry and physics, biology, Cherokee Studies, and anthropology were involved in the artwork selections and consulted with artists throughout the process.
Hoss Haley’s “Staurolite” sculpture will be installed outside the Apodaca Science Building’s front doors on April 10. Together with the other artworks, it enhances the students’ learning experience in Apodaca and draws interdisciplinary connections between the sciences and the arts. A rendering of the sculpture is provided by the artist.
Hoss Haley’s Staurolite Sculpture to be Installed Outside WCU’s Apodaca Science Building
Hoss Haley’s upcoming sculpture installation outside WCU’s Apodaca Science Building is a 12-foot representation of a Staurolite Twin, a native mineral found in Northern Georgia and Western North Carolina. The sculpture is designed to resemble the mineral after Haley discovered ties to local geology and lore. The name “Staurolite” comes from the Greek words “stauros” for cross and “lithos” for stone, giving it a literal translation of “cross-stone.” Future art installations in the building are expected to continue throughout 2023, featuring Joshua Adams and others. To learn more about the new installations in the building and Hoss Haley’s artist talk, follow Bardo Arts Center on Facebook or Instagram.
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