Lindsey Smith and her sculpture, "Puzzled Wood."
BRISTOL, Va. -- The landscape of Virginia Intermont College in Bristol, Va., consists of far more than the usual series of dormitories and classrooms. Exemplifying the quality of its art programs, the campus is a gallery, showcasing the work of exceptional students and faculty.
The campus features more than a dozen dynamic, larger-than-life sculptures, ranging from a cement-based newborn horse and a whimsical metallic bird on a unicycle, to a steel human form dancing in the quad. In addition, there are paintings and prints on exhibit across campus, reflecting all the fine arts division programs, including photography and digital imaging.
Establishing the campus as a gallery not only promotes talent but also stimulates and inspires students, as well as campus visitors.
Sculptures by students Lindsey Smith from Piney Flats, Tenn., and Mark Fusco of Niagara Falls, Canada, were permanently added to the campus this year.
Smith carved oversized puzzle pieces, seemingly in motion. Her work is entitled "Puzzled Wood." "In a sense, it will be like having part of me still here long after I've moved on," she says. Since her freshman year at VI, Smith always dreamed of joining the artists with permanent exhibits. Now a senior, she plans to become an art teacher.
Fusco graduated in May with a bachelor's degree in art and an associate's in graphic design. He went to work as a graphic artist in Kingsport, Tenn. He leaves behind a sculpture created from scrap steel, which took three years. It depicts two athletes juxtaposed, one reflecting the glory of winning, the other the agony of defeat. Fusco played baseball for VI and says the sculpture is a personal expression: "For an athlete, you have to realize that everyone experiences wins and losses."
THERE'S MORE ART IN PUBLIC PLACES:
-- Abingdon: 'Banjo Man' Plays Solo Show at Barter's Stage II
-- Bronze Sculpture: Creating the Faery Fountain 'Midsummer Play'
-- Bristol, TN-VA: Arts Alliance Announces Winners of Sculpture Competition
-- Bristol, Va.: Art Is At The Heart of College's Campus
