April 29, 2004

Two Student-Designed Public Art Displays To Be Installed At Boise State

Two new public art projects will be displayed on the Boise State University campus beginning May 6. The temporary, art-specific pieces were designed and will be installed by students in art professor Kristen Furlong’s basic 3-D design classes as a final project assignment. Students were asked to find a site on campus and research it, then fashion a site-specific three-dimensional artwork. Ideas ranged from a 6-foot fish sculpture behind the Morrison Center to a life-size blueprint of a Chaffee Hall room on the grass behind the Student Union. Using scale models and sample materials, student proposals were presented to a juror to be critiqued and judged. The two models displaying the most vision and best craftsmanship were given the honor of being constructed and displayed. Jurors were art professors Richard Young and Dwaine Carver. The two projects selected are: “Progression,” May 6-12, designed by Mickey Hohman and installed by Hohman, Jason Barrera, Shelley Bergin, Jason Bohnsack, Kellin Bray, John Briggs, Brad Cahill, Tahirih Commers, Jody Elliot, Josh Human, Zabrina Jansen and Vivianne Sanchez. This eight-piece series of metal triangles inserted into the ground between Towers Hall and the Morrison Center, represents the growth of the city and the university through its meshing of nature and architecture. “When you put the site and the materials together, it should evoke the feeling of movement or progression of man-made material with a natural rising and declining foreground,” Hohman said. The piece uses steel and rebar to represent the structural aspects of the surrounding area and will be placed to follow the lines of the river, thus representing nature. “Fine Dining,” May 6-11, designed by Andrew Christensen and installed by Christensen, Adam Duchek, Crystal Duskey, Cody Evans, Ben Folkner, Sommers Gerratt, Lisa Hines, Chris Kranz, Macy Miller, Todd Kaebisch, Brian Smith and Glenn Ballungay. Located near the north entrance to the Student Union, this exhibit will be seen by students on their way to and from meals. “Fine Dining” places two formal settings directly in front of an old barbecue constructed by the Intercollegiate Knights in 1949, juxtaposing the old (the barbecue) and the new (the quick and convenient cafeteria meal). Christensen hopes the piece will give resident students some interesting conversation as they feed their appetite for “fine dining.” For more information on this artwork project, contact Kirsten Furlong at 426-3019 or by e-mail at kfurlong@boisestate.edu. -30- Contact Kirsten Furlong Art department 208 426-3019 Media Contact Kathleen Craven communications and marketing 208 426-3275