“Murmuration,” a new outdoor sculpture by Andrew Malczewski, was introduced during a ceremony at Arkansas Tech University on Tuesday, April 26.
Malczewski is serving as Windgate Foundation artist in residence at Arkansas Tech for the spring 2022 semester.
He was joined in cutting the ceremonial ribbon by Dr. Jeffrey Cass, dean of the ATU College of Arts and Humanities; Summer Bruch, head of the ATU Department of Art; and Manami Ishimura, visiting instructor of art at ATU.
The sculpture is located on the quad south of the ATU Administration Building and north of the Hull Physical Education Building on the ATU campus in Russellville.
Malczewski explained during the ribbon cutting ceremony that “Murmuration” was inspired by the ATU vision statement: where students succeed, innovation thrives and communities flourish.
“I used that as a starting off point to come up with a concept,” said Malczewski. “The sculpture is based off the idea of the mumuration of starlings. When the birds take on those formations, it looks like this impossible thing that happens, much like a group of people who work together to do something spectacular and amazing. I really thought that was a great representation for a sculpture here at ATU.”
Malczewski is the fourth artist in residence in Arkansas Tech history. He was preceded by Ishimura (spring 2019), Tiffany Black (spring 2020) and Jade Hoyer (fall 2021).
The program is made possible through a grant from the Windgate Foundation. Additional financial support from the Windgate Foundation over the past four years has allowed Arkansas Tech to establish a summer professional development program for K-12 art teachers, develop enhanced opportunities for ATU graduates to attend medical school, purchase equipment for Arkansas Tech nursing students, create an endowed art scholarship fund and establish a need-based scholarship fund for ATU students.
Learn more about the ATU Department of Art at www.atu.edu/art.
