Client: University of Northern Iowa

Location: Cedar Falls, IA, United States

Completion date: 2012

Artwork budget: $200,000

Project Team

Industry Resource

Derek Nadeau

Meltdown Glass Art & Design

Artist

Lynn Basa

Lynn Basa

Overview

Dimensions: 9 columns, heights from 7’ to 19’
Medium: Powder-coated steel, cast glass, LED, fiber optic
Client: University of Northern Iowa, Cedar Falls
Budget: $200,000
Fabricators: UNI Public Art Incubator, Meltdown Glass, Byron Bewley Designs, Stone Innovations

Goals

Bower is a forest of monumental beacons scattered throughout the interior lounge and exterior plaza at the main entrance of a new residence hall complex. The building is designed with many social and activity spaces so that students can have the benefit of friendship and support. The branch motif is symbolic not only of that supportive community but of the connections they will make during college, the strong roots of knowledge that they will establish, and the growth they will experience through their education. This project is notable for the fact that it was the catalyst for UNI’s new Public Art Incubator program started by Sculpture professor Tom Stancliffe.

Process

This project is notable for the fact that it was the catalyst for UNI’s new Public Art Incubator program started by Sculpture professor Tom Stancliffe. Students fabricated Bower as a summer job. It also became a revenue generator for the school because the majority of the funds for the project went back to the university for the fabrication.