On the site where the Doyle Library now stands there used to be an oak tree. When construction started the tree was removed to make room for the new building. That old oak has not left us. Artist Bruce Johnston has transformed the tree into four pieces of sculpture, distributed across the floors of the library to remind us of what once stood there. “Oak Tree 1-4” is just one of many pieces of public art on the Santa Rosa Junior College campus.
This availability of public art reflects the importance the school attaches to creating a space to share culture as well as education. Michael McGinnis, a sculpture teacher and exhibits specialist, says that the school’s emphasis on public art reflects a recent shift in policy.
In 2009 McGinnis curated a show entitled Concepts & Processes in Public Sculpture. He explains that the purpose of public sculpture is to help a society define its culture. “Historically, public sculpture was used to convey aspects of local lore, political and military victory, or socially significant events and individuals. This work identified a community, its culture and mores.”
While the increased emphasis on public art on campus is new, not all of the sculptures are. For years the math department has been home to two pieces depicting unusual geometric forms. The first, “Mobeis Strip” by Jeff Atz, depicts a one sided shape in three-dimensional space. The other sculpture located in Shuhaw Hall is “The Sierpinsky Sponge” by Tom Falbo. This wooden sculpture is a cube with increasingly small squares removed. This type of self-similar structure is known mathematically as a fractal; “The Sierpinsky Sponge” is one of the simplest examples. While these sculptures help students understand mathematical concepts they also help define Shuhaw Hall as a place to learn about mathematical thought.
The largest installations on campus are located near the Bertolini Quad. Just outside the doors to the SRJC art gallery is “Lackawanna” by William Warhem. A collection of polished, dissected metal spheres and rings, this statue is one of the most prominent pieces of art on campus. McGinnis was interested in discovering the meaning behind the piece’s name. He learned that “Lackawanna” is a Native American name of a river, however in discussion with the artist, he learned that this was not the inspiration for the piece. The name was stamped in the steel Warhem used to create the piece.
Nearby is the second large outdoor sculpture in SRJC’s collection. “Annual Ring” is a 19-foot disk of rusted metal with a beveled edge and cut out center. This massive sculpture, created by Rodger Berry, inscribes the apparent motion of the sun on a single ring. “In the winter the front of the piece is in full light and the back is in shadow. In the summer the inverse is true,” Berry explains on his websight.
On the south side of campus, tucked in to the breezeway at Barnet Hall is a small piece by Bruce Johnson. This three-foot copper covered wooden sphere sits on a rounded triangular pillar studded with nails set in a mostly empty grid of holes. Surrounding this slowly oxidizing sphere are a collection of herbs and plants from around the world. The location and shape of the sculpture are intended to remind us of our place in global society.
According to McGinnis, Johnson likes to work with reclaimed and recovered wood in his sculptures as in the removed oak on display in Doyle library or the cast off redwood used in the world herb garden.
While public art serves to help define our culture, it can also instigate controversy about the use of tax dollars and the benefit it provides. “Strong work can transcend original intention, helping a community to grow in aesthetic understanding. Weak work can become a focus for disagreements about public spending on the arts, attacks on art in schools, and even the downfall of politicians.” McGinnis said in his curator’s statement for Concepts and Proses.
