The Sculpture of Learning Campus

Do you know how many pieces of sculpture are on the Learning Campus? The area in and around the Family Museum and the Bettendorf Public Library houses eight pieces of sculpture that represent the concepts of family and knowledge.

The newest addition to the collection, “All Kinds of People”, sparked a renewed interest in the different sculptures sprinkled throughout the area.
Installed during the summer of 2007, this set of five people (and a dog!) was designed and assembled by Dawn Wohlford-Metallo, Lisa Mahar, Leonard Metallo, and students from Bettendorf High School. This installation was part of The Mississippi Palette Project led by the Artists Advisory Council to the Figge Art Museum, the Waste Commission of Scott County, and the East Moline environmental group Living Lands & Waters. The project brought together local artists and area students to use objects from landfills to create art and increase consciousness of conservation.

	“Our concept was to create a grouping of sculptures that would celebrate the spirit of the individual,” said artist Dawn Wohlford-Metallo. So, inspired by people, she, Lisa Mahar, Leonard Metallo, and students from Bettendorf High School rummaged through items discarded by people to create the six “All Kinds of People.”
	They let their discoveries inspire their creations. “Once we found a metal ventilation fan and saw that it could become a skirt by freeing the bottom ring of steel, the idea for a ballerina quickly formed.
	“In a pile of old bikes, we saw shoulder blades in the handlebars, pelvic bones in the seats, and hearts in the reflectors.” In the original concept, the group had decided to drill holes and bolt the scrap metal together, but they soon realized it would be faster and easier to weld the pieces together. Luckily Dawn’s husband, Leonard, is a skilled welder, and he graciously agreed to assemble the pieces together. “All Kinds of People” can be viewed at the top of the hill in the Family Museum parking lot.  “All Kinds of People” by Dawn Wohlford and Lisa Mahar. Installed 2007.
	“Understanding” by Eric Mart. The three bronze arms which crown the piece reach for the moon, Earth, and sun. With a long chain flowing down to its base (the symbolic DNA of humanity) the sculpture represents the ongoing quest of humans to understand their relationship to the universe. The three arms are cast from the arms of Mart, Glenn Boyles, and Nancy Senn. Installed 2001.
	“Community” Designed by Charles Knudson and constructed by Jim Richardson. Located in the Family Museum’s Courtyard, this sculpture was created through the community project Street Heat Public Art. The different art projects produced through Street Heat are completed entirely by teens under the guidance of professional welders, bricklayers, and art instructors.
	“Passages” by Matthew Kargol. The most visible of all the sculpture on Learning Campus, this piece was installed in 1998. The four metal columns represent the events in an individual’s life with a sphere symbolizing the individual. The passage from one event to another is illustrated by a notch removed from each column. The artist intended to reflect the commitment of the Family Museum and the Public Library to preserve the past, understand the present, and discover the future.
	“Cat in the Hat” by Gary Pattersen. Carved on-site in 1997 from a red oak that had been struck by lightning, this nearly nine foot tall Cat in the Hat sits outside the Children’s Reading Area.
	“Pages” by Ted McElhiney. Commissioned for the Public Library when it first opened in 1976, this aluminum sculpture features book pages and quotations submitted by library patrons.
	“Mother Reading to Child” by Isabel Bloom. These cement figures, originally commissioned in 1960 for the new library on Grant Street, were moved to their present location in 1976.
	“Emily Dickinson” by Ken Brinson. This bust was dedicated in 2004 on the anniversary of Emily Dickinson’s death. She was an avid gardener and was buried with a bouquet of violets and heliotrope in her hands.