Transforming local landforms into works of art

“Some might think that displays of art deviate from what conventionally belongs in an academic library, but its presence can be culturally enriching and prompts visual investigation that goes beyond books and computer screens,” said Hannah Lehmann, Library Assistant at the University of Toledo’s Carlson Library.

Carlson Library is currently displaying “Landforms,” a series of 3-D sculptures by artist Judith Greavu, a Bowling Green State University MFA graduate.

According to Lehmann the exhibit is temporarily on display.

“The series of sculpture on display in the library are the seeds of the thinking for the large UT sculpture,” Greavu said in an e-mail interview.

The larger sculpture Greavu references is her “Current Forces” sculpture located outside of Bowman-Oddy to the south. The sculpture was installed in fall 2013 and is made of bronze and fused glass.

“This sculpture was brought to the University with the help of the Ohio Arts Council, the UT Campus Beautification Committee and representatives of the UT science faculty,” said Wade Lee, Science Reference Librarian, in a Carlson Library blog post.

The art theme was chosen to be displayed in conjunction with Celebrate Our River Week, Sept 17-20.

“That sculpture, Current Forces, references the Ottawa River that flows through campus,” Greavu said.

Celebrate Our River Week includes the dedication of Greavu’s sculpture outside of Bowmen-Oddy on Wednesday Sept. 17 at noon. The events during the week will culminate with the 2014 Clean Your Streams event.

“The works are obviously inspired by specific landforms, but I hope the sculptures excite the imagination beyond merely reminding a viewer of a stream or a road cut through a hill,” Greavu said.

According to Greavu, she lets the “primal forces” of the media speak for themselves. Her sculptures are crafted from bronze, aluminum and wood.

“The materials that seem hard and unrelenting have been transformed into scenes that are soft, fluid, and ever-changing,” Lee said.

Lehmann said the artwork relates to UT’s programs.

“She uses a lot of media and different forms of materials that are actually available here to students that would take an art class,” Lehmann said. “We have a foundry so we can pour bronze here and carve wood and we have ceramics. For someone who is interested in any of these methods, they are able to do them here at the University of Toledo.”

Lehmann said in addition to Greavu’s exhibit, UT students’ artwork are often displayed in Carlson Library.

“We’re very interested in displaying local artists associated with the University of Toledo,” Lehmann said. “We always like art that is somewhat cross-curricular, that is applicable to subject matters outside of art itself. It’s always really exciting when we get to integrate other aspects of academics outside of literature and just integrate more facets of learning into the library beyond just pure research.”

Greavu said she hopes students will look for the deeper meaning that the structures hold.

“I would hope that art students, especially students who have cast metal through the sculpture casting program, will view them with critical aesthetic and technical eyes and form challenges that could be expressed to me or expressed in their own art work,” Greavu said.

For more information about the series, contact Dave Remaklus at 419-530-4030 or [email protected]