Gallery of Artwork

Located on the west wall of the Prairie Room, second floor of the Bone Student Center

One of many unique works of art located throughout the Bone Student Center, Wood Speaks was designed and created by Illinois State Art ProfessorEmerita Stephanie Amster. She worked with several advanced design students on the piece that was completed in 1980. Commissioned by the Illinois State University Foundation specifically for Bone Student Center, Wood Speaks measures 20 feet in length, is nearly 11 feet in height, and has a depth of six inches. It consists of five distinct parts, all of which are created from the blending of man-made, machine-made, antique, and natural wood materials.

Located on the northwest corner of the Science Laboratory Building

Illinois artist and sculptor Thomas Skomski was commissioned through the Art-in-Architecture Program in 1998 to create Not One Not Two, which resembles a split tree trunk. Skomski explains that while his work evolves “from no set perspective or point of view” so that his style changes from piece to piece, Buddhism is an underlying motivation for much of what he creates. With no set limitations, he has worked in a wide range of media that include concrete, water, wax, glass, and stone.

Located on the west side of Science Laboratory Building

Illinois sculptor Chris Berti was commissioned through the Art-in-Architecture Program to create these three large limestone shells that rest in a bed of loose stone. Installed in 1998, the work is an example of an aquatic interest Berti developed while working as a commercial fisherman off Long Island Sound for six years. Berti has a degree in ceramics and taught himself to work in stone, following in the path of his grandfather, who was a stonemason by trade.

Located at the southwest entrance of the Science Laboratory Building

A former Illinois State art professor, Barry Tinsley was commissioned through the Art-in-Architecture Program to create a piece for the Science Laboratory Building. Tinsley has completed more than 30 commissioned pieces and considers Aqua to be his most successful realization of art in conjunction with a site. Installed in 1998, the 10-by 12-foot triangular granite and bronze sculpture represents the ancient alchemy symbol for water. A major compound in all living things, water also is a primary component in the function and study of biology and chemistry. Aqua is the second campus sculpture created by Tinsley, whose work has been featured numerous times in Chicago’s celebrated and ongoing Navy Pier sculpture exhibition. The other piece, #14 on tour, is located on the southeast lawn between the Center for Visual Arts and Centennial West.

Located in the lobby of the Science Laboratory Building

The cofounder of the celebrated Navy Pier outdoor sculpture displays in Chicago, Terry Karpowicz was commissioned through the Art-in-Architecture Program to create On the Edge of Awakening. The stone and wood sculpture was installed in 1998 and is one of a series Karpowicz has completed to explore the challenges to humanity at this point in history. It is inspired in part by his fascination with the innerworkings of windmills and watermills, which captured his attention during his studies in England.

Located in the lobby of the Science Laboratory Building

The work of Arnold Beckman is celebrated in this privately commissioned wall hanging. A graduate of Illinois State’s Laboratory Schools, Beckman went on to become a respected scientist, entrepreneur, philanthropist, and humanitarian. The printed linen piece documents Beckman’s work on an apparatus for testing acidity and the patent he received for the pH meter.

Located in the plaza between Watterson Towers and Stevenson Hall

Logos was installed in 1969 as a tribute to Adlai Stevenson II, former Illinois governor, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, and twice a candidate for president of the United States. Created by noted Philadelphia sculptor Henry Mitchell, the 20-foot spiral cast in bronze with gold leaf emerges from a circle that was once a working fountain. The piece, named to reflect the spirit of reason that Stevenson personified, resulted from a $50,000 gift to the University. Among the donors was Stevenson’s sister, Elizabeth Stevenson Ives. Logos stands outside Stevenson Hall, the classroom and faculty office building also named in Stevenson’s honor and as a tribute to ancestors of the Stevenson family, who helped found Illinois State in 1857.

Located between Stevenson Hall and Williams Hall, from North Street to Beaufort Street

Donations totaling approximately $2 million were key in the creation of In Exchange, which converted a vacant portion of School Street into an educational and sculptural environment. Private gifts were received from alumni, faculty, and friends of the University, local businesses, and corporate and private foundations. Students also contributed through the Senior Challenge for the classes of 1994, 1995, 1996, and 1998. University funds were used to complete the south entrance of the two-acre pedestrian plaza, which alumnus Dann Nardi specifically designed to capture the connection of humans with nature. He describes In Exchange as a location of shared property of both man and nature, an enduring timeless exchange of relationships between the two. Nardi’s design consists of large circles that integrate art, plantings, and a water element with the environment to create a living laboratory. Dedicated in 2004, In Exchange is a key element of the Fell Arboretum.

Hand Blown Glass Bowl
by Joseph Nielander,
M.S. ’91, M.F.A. ’94
Acquired in 1989, this glass piece was created by Joseph Nielander of Pompano Beach, Florida, during his first semester of graduate work at the University.

Ensemble
by Brian Higer, M.S. ’97
Brian Higer of Pocatello, Idaho, completed Ensemble while a graduate student working under the direction of Distinguished Professor Emeritus Joel Myers. Acquired in 1993, the crystal was designed by Higer to have the look of ice.

My Van Gogh
by Robert Leroy Hardgrove
This acrylic painting acquired in 1992 is the creation of Clinton, Illinois, artist Robert Hardgrove, who was a student in the School of Art at the time. His paintings and drawings have been exhibited in Chicago.

The Right Angle
by Veda Mae Rives, M.A. ’92
This monotype print by graduate student Veda Mae Rives from Virden, Illinois, was one of two gifts acquired in 1990. Summer Hillside, which was done by Rives’s twin sister, was also added to the collection.

Summer Hillside
by Meda Rae Rives, M.A. ’92, M.F.A. ’98
This print by Meda Rae Rives was acquired in 1990, along with The Right Angle, which was created by her twin sister. The two women studied under School of Art Professor James Butler.

Untitled
by Joel Myers
Acquired in 1997, this uneven sphere of blown glass by Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Art Joel Myers is filled with spectacular color. Myers created the University’s glass program in the College of Fine Arts in 1970. Self-taught in glassblowing, Myers’s work has been exhibited around the world.

Located at the northeast entrance to the Quad between Hovey Hall and Moulton Hall

The grandchildren of Jesse W. Fell worked with Fell’s many friends and the Women’s Improvement League for the dedication of the Fell Gates in 1915 to recognize Fell’s years of service to the University and community. Fell was a founder of Illinois State (Normal) University in 1857. He was also instrumental in the founding of the Town of Normal, which grew up around the University. When first completed, the Fell Gates marked the path to Old Main, North Hall, Cook Hall, Edwards Hall and Moulton Hall—which were the only buildings on campus in the early 1900s. Old Main and North Hall have been demolished but the others remain in use.

Located on the east side of the Quad near Hovey Hall

This bronze sculpture designed by artist and architect William Wright was installed in 1967 as a gift from the Class of 1967 in honor of Robert G. Bone, who served as Illinois State’s president from 1956 until his retirement in 1967. Bone was beloved by the campus community, and particularly students, as he guided the University through a decade of change. Enrollment tripled, 15 new buildings were constructed, and the University’s name changed from Illinois State Normal during Bone’s years as president.

Located on the east side of the Quad near Hovey Hall

Bloomington resident Dann Nardi designed and sculpted the circular concrete benches that were added to the University’s Fell Arboretum in 1997.

Located on the third floor of Williams Hall

Purchased through the Art-in-Architecture Program, this lithograph is one of eight drawings, two prints, and two paintings added to Williams Hall in 1980.

Located on the southeast lawn between the Center for Visual Arts and Centennial West

This untitled abstract sculpture is Barry Tinsley’s first commissioned piece and represents his early work in steel. He has since evolved to work in other metals and stone. The piece is a tribute to one of his former students, Janice Louise Moorhous, who died in 1972 at the age of 20. Tinsley also created Aqua (#4 on tour), which stands at the entrance of the Science Laboratory Building.

Located on the south lawn of the Center for Visual Arts and Centennial East

This untitled abstract steel sculpture is the work of Herbert House, a former Illinois State student who is semiretired and resides in Chicago. The sculptor of approximately 500 pieces ranging from large-scale work to more intimate pieces, House was commissioned by the College of Fine Arts to create this piece in 1974.

Seeds
by Mark Forth ’87
Located on the second floor of Fell Hall

A Bloomington-Normal native, Mark Forth was chosen through the Art-in-Architecture Program from a pool of 350 artists to create artwork that would complement the newly renovated Fell Hall.

Confidant
by Mark Forth ’87
Located on the main floor of Fell Hall

On the strength of his small-scale oil studies, Forth set about creating paintings that he said portray Bloomington-Normal and Illinois State University as I saw them a reflection of the world, a microcosm of the world.

Graceful Purpose
by Mark Forth ’87
Located on the second floor of Fell Hall

Forth’s entire series of 11 oil paintings was installed in 1993.

Located on the west side of the Quad by the east entrance to DeGarmo Hall

A native of St. Louis, Ernest Trova is a self-taught artist who has achieved international acclaim as a prolific and imaginative sculptor. A desire to explore man’s condition in the midst of technology has driven much of Trova’s work, including his famous Falling Man series. Pieces from the series are displayed in museums around the world. Trova next began to create Abbreviations, which is a series of pieces crafted from scraps of metal. Abstract Variations emerged as a result. Illinois State obtained one piece of the collection as a donation. The piece, which was added to the Quad in 1985, was completed by Trova in 1976.

Located on the west side of the Quad in front of Cook Hall

Nita Sunderland, Bradley University art professor emerita, was commissioned through the Art-in-Architecture Program to create this piece that was installed in 1990. Made of limestone and bronze, Ruins IV reflects the stylized medieval imagery that exemplifies Sunderland’s work. The sculpture is part of a series that Sunderland said stands as a statement about our relationship with history and former societies, as well as the importance of earning from the mistakes and experiments of the past.

Located on the Quad at the flagpole

Now one of the most treasured historical artifacts on the Illinois State campus, the Old Main Bell was once a unique feature of the University’s first building. Old Main was completed in 1860 and dominated the campus for nearly 100 years. One key element of the building was the bell, which tolled the time. The original bell cracked and was replaced in 1882 with the bell that now stands on the Quad. It was retrieved at the time of Old Main’s demolition in the 1940s and is now rung only on special occasions, including the University’s annual Founders Day.

Located on the third floor of Edwards Hall

Donated by the Mennonite Nurses’ Alumni Association in 1991, the stained glass window depicts values steeped in Mennonite College of Nursing’s history. A dove and flame, each an emblem from the college’s nursing pins, are set in an abstract background of color that denotes the earth, oceans, and heavens. The college values the promotion of a life of peace, which is symbolized by the dove. The responsible use of nature is expressed by the earth and sea. Another core college value the dignity of all persons and the recognition of the wholeness of life is represented in the flame, which offers warmth, healing, and light to humanity.

Located at the northwest entrance to the Quad between Cook Hall and Edwards Hall

Created as a pedestrian entrance to the heart of campus, the Lincoln Gates are the 1995 reunion gift of the classes of 1945, 1955, 1970, and 1985. Additional funding from the University’s Grounds Services division of Facilities Management led to completion of the limestone gates that were dedicated in 1999. Students from the University’s Foundations of Inquiry classes participated in decisions for landscaping around the gates, which are designed to complement the Fell Gates (#10 on the tour) that stand on the opposite side of the Quad.

Located on the exterior wall of Schroeder Hall at northwest entrance

A former Illinois State University professor of art, James Wozniak created this untitled fired-ceramic and metal hanging sculpture. The piece was commissioned as a gift to the University by the Senior Class of 1965. Wozniak worked in sculpture, ceramics, architecture, carpentry, and graphic design from the mid-1950s until the time of his death in 1984.

Located on the west lawn of Bone Student Center

Sculptor Isaac Witkin, whose work has been exhibited internationally, constructed Alnasco. Named for the steel company that provided the raw material and a place to create it, the sculpture was donated by the Illinois State Alumni Association in 1975 and installed in 1978. It was acquired for the University after being featured in a well-received gallery show in Rhode Island. The sculpture is one of the last examples of Witkin’s work in welded steel, as he purposefully changed his artistic style after its completion.

Located on the exterior west wall of Bone Student Center

Illinois State Art Professor Emerita Marilyn Newby designed and coordinated the installation of All of Us Under a Rainbow: A Very Special Arts Festival 1982-85. Newby’s mosaic mural consists of 21 large panels fitted together. It was created with approximately 2,500 individual ceramic pieces made between 1982 and 1985. Each piece was fashioned by one of the more than 1,200 participants of A Very Special Arts Festival, an art program offered on campus during the 1980s.

Located outside the north entrance of Redbird Arena

Constructed in 1993, Competitive Edge is fabricated sheet steel sculpted abstractly into a figure suggesting a basketball player. A gift of the Class of 1988, Charlene Bokesch-Parsons’s piece was chosen from a contest that was open to all Illinois State students. Now an art teacher and artist who incorporates kiln-cast glass, steel, granite, and ceramics into her work, Bokesch-Parsons remains firm in her belief that art should not only be visually engaging to the eye but it should also be intriguing to the mind.

Located inside the main entrance of the Ropp Agriculture Building

Harold Gregor, Illinois State University Distinguished Professor of Art Emeritus, was commissioned through the Art-in-Architecture Program to complete this painting that was installed in 1983. The piece is one of more than 170 that Gregor created as part of his Landscape series. Gregor has gained national acclaim for his Midwestern landscapes with a specific emphasis on Illinois in styles ranging from photorealistic to nearly abstract. His fascination with Illinois stems from the fact that he finds inspiration driving through the state’s farmland. Gregor also is known for the experimental use of color in his aerial view Flatscape series. His work also is displayed at the Illinois State Library in Springfield and Chicago’s McCormick Place.