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| Sculptor, John Hoge |
RICHLAND — Installation of an environmental sculpture overlooking the Columbia River is in progress at WSU Tri-Cities.
The epoxy is still drying. After the adhesive dries, there is another phase handled by the grounds crew, which is to take out the grass and put in a base of crushed basalt.
While there isn’t a timeline for when the sculpture will be finished and installed, there will be a dedication ceremony, in the spring.
The “Half Sphere and Vessel Grouping” designed by Seattle sculptor John Hoge is made of 15 carved and polished Red Glacial Granite Boulders. The site is beneath three large trees on the grass behind the East Building at 2710 University Drive in Richland. The boulders are envisioned as a seating area to study, talk, or simply watch the bike trail and river.
The project budget of $57,715 was generated from 0.5 percent of the state’s portion of the construction costs of the new Bioproducts, Sciences, and Engineering Laboratory, which opened in May at WSU Tri-Cities. The project was managed by the Washington State Arts Commission’s Art in Public Places program, or the “1/2 of 1 percent for Art program,” which was established by the state legislature in July 1974.
A committee at WSU Tri-Cities selected Hoge from almost 300 artists on the Arts Commission’s Public Artist Roster.
Hoge had two proposals for WSU Tri-Cities, said Mike Sweney, Arts Commission project manager. “This one made the most sense for the space and what the committee was looking for, which was a meeting place.”
The outdoor art also has been completed at a relatively fast pace, as the committee started meeting in February and the boulders are being installed this week. A dedication ceremony will be held at a future date.
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The rock site |
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Unloading the boulders
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