Client: Oregon Arts Commission
Location: Monmouth, OR, United States
Completion date: 2009
Artwork budget: $20,000
Project Team
Artist
Laura Bender
Site Painters
Artist
John Early
Site Painters
Project Coordinator
Saralyn Hilde
Oregon Arts Commission
Principal Architect
Brad Dehle
Soderstrom Architects
Overview
Percent for Art commission for WOU’s Math/Nursing Building entrance lobby. To Manifest is a series exploring in Da Vincian spirit the numerical sequence of zero to nine. The panels (carved and painted wood, assemblage, and appliqued linen) speak poetically of the truth of numbers embedded in the forms of nature and the vitality of this manifested world. The diptych, To Nurture , welcomes students, staff, and visitors as they approach the stairs to the Nursing department.
Goals
With the construction of this new university building, the Oregon Arts Commission put out a Percent for Art call. The goal for the art was to welcome students into the department and provide a visual context for the two areas of study, math on the first floor and nursing on the second. Math is often thought of as a purely cerebral concept, but numbers and their relationships are deeply embedded in the world of nature, giving rise to patterns of generation and growth and rhythms manifested throughout the world. This installation is intended to engage viewers in a spirit of curiosity and discovery.
Process
As a semi-finalist in this call for art, Laura Bender presented a design board visually explaining the direction of her proposal for the entrance lobby to the jury. After being awarded the commission, she worked closely with the director of the OR Arts Commission and with the lead architect for the project in determining siting, lighting, and installation.