2008 Woodie Awards
Sculpture vandalism reported
Matthew Schroyer
Issue date: 10/18/07 Section: News
Student sculptures have been the target of random acts of violence, leaving them painted, smashed and disfigured.
Near the Morris University Center's west entrance, vandals damaged a sculpture, which is made of more than 600 ceramic bottles, on three consecutive nights.
Sometime Friday night, vandals painted a portion of the sculpture with gold spray paint. Saturday night, a large magnet was placed on the metal water tower portion of the sculpture. And Sunday night, empty beer cans were found strewn inside the sculpture and several ceramic bottles were removed and smashed in parking Lot B.
The artist, Jon McMillan, a graduate student working on his sculpture as part of the Sculptures on Campus program, said it took him five and a half months to complete the sculpture.
"It's the biggest commitment to a single project that I've ever made," McMillan said. "This was just thoughtless."
McMillan said the gold paint matched the same color that was painted on the Rock in the Stratton Quadrangle that evening, as well as a nearby trashcan.
Coordinator of Greek Life John Davenport said gold is used by many Greek organizations, although it is traditionally accompanied by another color when the Rock is painted.
"There are several ones that use that color," Davenport said. "(The Rock) changes several times a day."
In recent weeks, another sculpture was damaged by blows from a blunt object. Alex Oslance, also an art student participating in SOC, said his sculpture in The Gardens at SIUE was damaged sometime between Friday, Oct. 5, and Sunday, Oct. 7. He said the sculpture had also been damaged in late September, and vandals had left drug paraphernalia at the scene of the crime.
"People had been out there smoking pot," Oslance said. "There was a disposable bowl out there."
Oslance said the vandals smashed six holes into his sculptures, and that some appeared to be kicked in.
Both incidents were reported to the SIUE Police, who were unavailable for comment Wednesday.
Near the Morris University Center's west entrance, vandals damaged a sculpture, which is made of more than 600 ceramic bottles, on three consecutive nights.
Sometime Friday night, vandals painted a portion of the sculpture with gold spray paint. Saturday night, a large magnet was placed on the metal water tower portion of the sculpture. And Sunday night, empty beer cans were found strewn inside the sculpture and several ceramic bottles were removed and smashed in parking Lot B.
The artist, Jon McMillan, a graduate student working on his sculpture as part of the Sculptures on Campus program, said it took him five and a half months to complete the sculpture.
"It's the biggest commitment to a single project that I've ever made," McMillan said. "This was just thoughtless."
McMillan said the gold paint matched the same color that was painted on the Rock in the Stratton Quadrangle that evening, as well as a nearby trashcan.
Coordinator of Greek Life John Davenport said gold is used by many Greek organizations, although it is traditionally accompanied by another color when the Rock is painted.
"There are several ones that use that color," Davenport said. "(The Rock) changes several times a day."
In recent weeks, another sculpture was damaged by blows from a blunt object. Alex Oslance, also an art student participating in SOC, said his sculpture in The Gardens at SIUE was damaged sometime between Friday, Oct. 5, and Sunday, Oct. 7. He said the sculpture had also been damaged in late September, and vandals had left drug paraphernalia at the scene of the crime.
"People had been out there smoking pot," Oslance said. "There was a disposable bowl out there."
Oslance said the vandals smashed six holes into his sculptures, and that some appeared to be kicked in.
Both incidents were reported to the SIUE Police, who were unavailable for comment Wednesday.
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