Guy J. Bellaver sculpture dedicated at W & J College

Guy J. Bellaver's sculpture, titled "1970," has been installed and dedicated at Washington & Jefferson College in Washington, Pennsylvania.

The sculpture was chosen in the college's 1970 Commemorative Public Art Competition, a "work of art commissioned to celebrate the myriad changes that occurred during the 1970 academic year."

"1970" - the winning submission in the competition - is the second sculpture in Bellaver's " … in Motion" series. The works in this series are stainless steel kinetic sculptures featuring inserts of materials such as colored glass and painted metal. The Public Art committee that awarded the commission to Bellaver was particularly interested in the fact that the sculpture was kinetic. The piece was designed, when turned, to form many other views, representative of the changes so much a part of the first coed class at W & J, as well as the era of the 1970s. The committee felt that it was a perfect representation of that time, and the "tag line" on the dedication plaque reads - "Change is Motion, Motion is Change."

Louise Kirkpatrick Ross and Betsey Hurwitz-Schwab, members of the Public Art Committee and the first coed class, W & J Trustees, and the principal organizer/fundraiser and committee chair, respectively, of the 1970 project, introduced the sculpture and the people involved in the project in the Dedication Program. The Program explains the project. "'1970' is viewed by some as the beginning of the modern history of Washington & Jefferson College … For the first time in its history, women were admitted to the College, the youngest president was inaugurated … a charter was issued for the first Black Student Union … art was declared a major. These are only a few of the sweeping changes that took place that academic year. The sculpture 1970 is the first of its kind on the campus and is dedicated to that time when [W & J] moved forward and maintained its status among some of the best liberal arts college in the modern era."

In his dedication remarks, Bellaver was asked by the committee to discuss his artist statement, the different liberal arts disciplines that came into play during the creation (and execution) of the project, and the tremendous significance of public art on college campuses. In addressing that request, he said, "A Liberal Arts education teaches us about the world and - as importantly - teaches us how to learn and think creatively. By adding public art to this beautiful campus, W & J is making a statement about the importance of creativity. This kinetic sculpture was designed for anyone to touch and move. It can be viewed differently, from different sides and different perspectives. A Liberal Arts education teaches us to value everyone's perspective."

The program's ending remarks spoke again to the theme of change. Said Ross, "And suddenly W & J is a different college. We find ourselves taking a second glance at the school we thought would never change. But it has changed and will continue to do so. W & J is an institution in flux. To the new President, to the coeds, and to those who are bringing about these changes the 1971 Pandora [school yearbook] is dedicated."

After the ceremony, Hurwitz-Schwab said about 1970, "The piece far exceeded my expectations and I couldn't be more pleased with how it turned out and how it looks."

W & J's Public Art Committee: Betsey Hurwitz-Schwab, Louise Ross, Susan Kepler, Patricia Maloney, Paul Scoles, Ruth Riesenman, Barbara Walls

Artist Statement for 1970:

I became an artist in the 1970s, and this sculpture is evocative of that time in many of its elements.

The stainless steel rods are welded together to form nine hendecagons, with an overall height and width of nearly 12 feet. This 11-sided shape represents W & J's position as the 11th oldest college in the nation. Each of the interior eight "levels" of the stainless steel rod can be turned to form many other views, representing the changes so much a part of the era of the '70s.

The colorful spiral shapes within the hendecagon "grow" as the sculpture widens, representing the growth of the college. These brightly colored segments also represent an era when color was becoming dominant in art, architecture, design, etc. Tie dye, color saturation, vibrancy …

The juxtaposition of the colors and the stainless steel suggest the combining of masculine and feminine elements to celebrate the beginning of coeducation at Washington & Jefferson.

More information about Sculpture/Guy J. Bellaver and Washington & Jefferson College may be found on their web sites - bellaverstudios.com and washjeff.edu.

About Guy J. Bellaver and Sculpture:

Bellaver is a sculptor whose works span many media, including stone, wood, metal and mixed media. His monumental works include major public art and liturgical projects in Geneva, Elgin, and St. Charles; Latrobe and Washington, PA; and Boston, MA. Bellaver's sculptures appear at Washington & Jefferson College, Washington, PA, the Forest County Potawatomi Cultural Museum, Crandon, WI, Armstrong County Courthouse, Kittanning, PA, Elgin Community College, Elgin, IL, Forbes Health System, Pittsburgh, PA, Graphite Sales, Inc., Chagrin Falls, OH, H.J. Heinz, Pittsburgh, PA, Hiram College, Hiram, OH, Indiana University of PA, Indiana, PA, Property Investment Company, Indianapolis, IN, and Saint Vincent College, Latrobe, PA, among others. His work is in private collections around the country and in Europe. His entire portfolio may be seen on his website - BellaverStudios.com.

After his discharge from the U.S. Army, Bellaver earned a B.A. in Economics from St. Vincent College. He has worked as a sculptor full time since 1975. Bellaver has taken masters credit classes in art at Carnegie Mellon University, the University of Pittsburgh, and Northern Illinois University, as well as The School of the Art Institute in Chicago. He is a member of Chicago Sculpture International and International Sculpture Center and is on the St. Charles Visitors and Cultural Commission and the Board of the St. Charles Arts Council. Bellaver is a past president of the St. Charles Rotary Club and Foundation and chairman of the Downtown St. Charles Partnership's Public Art Committee.

About Washington & Jefferson College:

Washington & Jefferson College, located in Washington, Pa., is a selective liberal arts college founded in 1781. Committed to providing each of its students with the highest-quality undergraduate education available, W&J offers a traditional arts and sciences curriculum emphasizing interdisciplinary study and independent study work.

For more information about W&J, visit www.washjeff.edu, or call 888-W-AND-JAY.