- Sweet Dreams – The eerie, unusually tall chairs visible from Oakland Avenue were created in 2000 as one of Winthrop’s first permanent public art projects. Created by Doug McAbee of the class of 1994 and 2003, the five steel chairs range in height from 8 to 20 feet. McAbee intended for their range of height to represent different levels of learning and growth.
- Touch Stones – Considered by some to resemble a Zen garden, the Touch Stones in front of Margaret Nance and Bancroft were created by Augusta, GA artist Brian Rust and installed in 2007, funded by the Winthrop University Alumni Association. Winthrop’s virtual art tour says the piece was meant “as a seating area that balances elements in a natural state with elements in a circle.” The large natural stones are intended to balance out the sleeker concrete benches and create an overall feeling of aging and changing over time.
- Wells Fargo Window Project – Unlike most of Winthrop’s public art, the window sculptures along Scholars Walk were not created with the campus in mind. In 2012, Wells Fargo Bank commissioned eight sculptures by nine artists, including Winthrop students Carey Morton of the class of 2012 and John C. Williams of the class of 2013. The sculptures, set in steel window frames, were created in honor of the Wells Fargo Championship golf tournament in Charlotte, part of the 2012 PGA Tour. Four of the sculptures are now installed on Scholars Walk.
- Life Cycles – Located between Dalton and Sims, these painted aluminum sculptures were created by Logan Woodle of Winthrop’s class of 2009. While the work displays abstract forms, it is meant to resemble the growth process of a frog.
Photos: Sam Ross/ The Johnsonian
- For more information on public art at Winthrop, visit https://www.winthrop.edu/virtualtour/arttour.aspx
