The Golden Student Success Center (GSSC), a $26 million renovation of the Golden Library, supports classroom instruction by helping students at all levels to become better learners and to gain confidence and skills to achieve their greatest possible academic success.
Art is an important part of the GSSC. Nine artists have their sculptures featured outside of the building.
Meet the artists and learn more about their creations:
"A Tall Drink of Water" by Suzanne Kane
What inspired you to create this piece? What is the purpose of the piece?
My work is informed by plants, bushes and trees from the Chihuahuan desert. Have you ever looked at a dried up interior of cactus? It has a very geometric configuration. Apparently, water flows upward in a cactus, then filters down, through this structure, efficiently feeding the plant. I think of "Tall Drink" as an edited version of a cactus. It is a welded steel grid with ceramic "pods" adding color and texture. I hope people will enjoy it as an interesting form but also muse about the preciousness of our water and creative ways to approach the efficient use of water.
What does having your artwork at the ENMU GSSC mean to you?
I am honored to be included in the art collection and sculpture garden at ENMU. You have a beautiful campus, and the courtyard area is an ideal place to showcase art. I think outdoor sculpture "punctuates" the landscape. In other words, our eye roves around, often absorbing what we see in a landscape in a languid, subliminal way. Public art arrests our vision, slowing it down to rest on these interesting details and makes our minds re-engage with what we are seeing.
"The Hive" by ModTribe Design (Taylor and Jenny)
What inspired you to create this piece? What is the purpose of the piece?
We were inspired to create "The Hive" by forms found in African tribal furniture/art as well as modern architecture. When we started assembling the sculpture, the colors of the wood reminded us of bees and their hive. We hope that our piece invites students to move the sculpture and turn the different layers to create different shapes and shadows. The form of "The Hive" will be constantly changing and hope that inspires people that are actively engaging with it or just passing by.
What does having your artwork at the ENMU GSSC mean to you?
Having "The Hive" at ENMU Portales means a lot to us. It is surrounded by a beautiful campus, and it is our first sculpture installed in a public place. An interactive sculpture at a campus is a great way to display your work/engage with an audience and have it be appreciated along with all the other great sculptures in the surrounding area. Thank you ENMU!
"Mercurio" by Elizabeth Akamatsu
What inspired you to create this piece? What is the purpose of the piece?
The form is inspired by the desert rose, a rosette rock formation commonly found in the high plains of New Mexico. The piece is meant to bring joy to the viewer and to provide a place to rest and observe the beautiful surroundings.
What does having your artwork at the ENMU GSSC mean to you?
It is a great honor to be part of the campus beautification initiative. It is my goal to bring beauty to the soul.
"Golden Sky Sunrise" by Ray Steffens
What inspired you to create this piece? What is the purpose of the piece?
I characterize my work as living art. I seek the rarest specimen of rock available and highlight the natural form in my sculpting process. "Golden Sky Sunrise" is lit from within, accentuating the soft orange color of the onyx.
What does having your artwork at the ENMU GSSC mean to you?
It is a privilege to be involved in public art in New Mexico. I especially like being in an environment that is educational, and hopefully, I can inspire young people. It is a great fit to be at the entrance to the Golden Student Success Center, with my piece being made from Sunrise Onyx and its title being "Golden Sky Sunrise."
"Prairie Moon" by Janna Tidwell
What inspired you to create this piece? What is the purpose of the piece?
Nature and the environment are often the inspiration for my work. This particular piece was inspired by an evening enjoying the prairie and night sky. Prairie Moon Is an exploration of the bold impact the moon and its silhouette can have on the landscape and how the landscape imprints on that silhouette. An abstraction of native prairie grasses form the framework which encapsulates the moon. The circular form is reminiscent of agrarian shapes that now have replaced parts of the prairie.
What does having your artwork at the ENMU GSSC mean to you?
I grew up in New Mexico not far from where the sculpture was installed. The New Mexico landscape has really shaped my vernacular as an artist, and it is an honor to have a sculpture placed in this setting for students to enjoy.
"Fly Away" by Gino Miles
What inspired you to create this piece? What is the purpose of the piece?
In the mid-2000's, I saw a morning glory growing on my fence, and it tangled itself into a knot. Later that year, I was inspired by the plant, and I made the first bronze knot. The knots became a high water mark in my career, symbolic of how things grow and relate to the Earth. I have made them in countless variations, including vertical, horizontal, tangled, etc.
In 2013, I made my first mobile out of aluminum for the Santa Fe DMV. I had some leftover aluminum and decided to try making a knot out of aluminum. Because aluminum is not a very attractive metal and because I was showing and selling a lot of work in Florida, I chose what I thought were "Florida colors," with sea green mist for the base and a cerulean blue for the sky.
At the time, I was also doing a series of pieces based on the Morse Code (dots and dashes), so I added the two elements on the top, which turn. The piece is called "Fly Away" because I thought the two top pieces look a bit like a wing on the top.
It's a bit hard to say what the purpose is of any art piece, including sculpture. I believe art is a form of communication between the artist and the viewer. I know the knots speak to people. I think it's something to do with the relationship between the inorganic material and the organic subject. The pieces appear to grow that way.
What does having your artwork at the ENMU GSSC mean to you?
I'm proud to have a piece at the university. I think education is one of the most important things for the continuation of our culture and our nation. I have very few pieces in New Mexico; I have pieces all around the world, but it's very rewarding to have a piece in my home state.
"Spirit of the Wind" by Ross Barrable
What inspired you to create this piece? What is the purpose of the piece?
I was inspired to start my wind harp concept after a gathering in my 20s where I heard a wind harp effect while performing on my folk harp. Outside sculptures need to be metal, so I began working with titanium and stainless steel. I wanted to share that beautiful sound with people and give nature a voice through the wind.
What does having your artwork at the ENMU GSSC mean to you?
I am grateful that ENMU chose the wind harp for their campus, because the sound of a wind harp, for me, is really powerful and harmonic. My hope is that the harp will provide an outdoor focal point for students and visitors to enjoy and use as a meeting space outside of the Runnels Gallery. I get to share artwork and culture with the University. What is a greater honor than that? ENMU is on the cutting edge of the art scene.
"Grama Grass Ballet" by Owen William Fritts
What inspired you to create this piece? What is the purpose of the piece?
I was inspired by the fluid motion and graceful reach of the native grasses of the Portales area. The purpose of the piece is to inspire reflection on the beauty of nature and its importance to humanity.
What does having your artwork at the ENMU GSSC mean to you?
An opportunity to contribute a positive message to the lives of those who attend ENMU.
"Corona" by Greg Reiche
