Two Phys Planters are key to developing the artistic scenery on MSU's campus.

A 25-foot-tall sculpture by the artist John Van Alstine is scheduled to be placed outside of Snyder-Phillips cafeteria this year. The giant creation, modeled after a tightrope walker and named “Funambulist,” will be surrounded by a complementary landscape, as well as placed over an existing steam tunnel without causing harm.

For jobs such as this, MSU looks to Landscape Architect II David Wilber and Landscape Architect III Deb Kinney. Each overlook installations of artwork on campus.

According to Kinney, she and Wilber are assigned one to four art-related projects per year. The length of each job depends on the attributes of the work and the planned site. “They might be drawn out over six to eight months,” said Wilber.

A large part of Kinney's and Wilber’s work deals with logistics. Being the designer on a project involves coordinating work with the Campus Art Committee, Campus Planning and Administration, as well as various Landscape Services crews, according to Kinney.

Most installations are funded by money set aside from large campus construction projects. The Campus Art Committee then chooses a piece of art, and the site design is up to either Kinney or Wilber. “We typically know where the piece will be placed before we know exactly what it will look like,” said Wilber. “As soon as we know the general scale of it, we can start the site design.”

While every project is unique, underlying themes persist. “One consistent design aspect is that we’re designing the landscape to focus on the art, whether physical access is needed or just a good view, we are framing it,” said Wilber.

According to Kinney, “One of the campus design principles is to create outdoor gathering spaces. These sculptures are very special features in the landscape; they become a focal point for more things to happen.”

August 13, 2009