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A stroll through building hallways and around the Southern Illinois University Edwardsville campus demonstrates a strong appreciation for and display of artistic wonder. Since its origin, SIUE has remained committed to the arts and the public engagement it commands.

“Right from the outset, the engagement with the public arts was a part of this campus’ DNA,” said Greg Budzban, PhD, dean of the SIUE College of Arts and Sciences (CAS). “For example, the structure of the University Museum is such a unique part of the University. We truly have a public museum.”

Another example of the University’s rich art collection is Plumb-Bob, an iconic sculpture that hung in the Morris University Center’s Goshen Lounge for nearly 50 years. The mobile was removed in November and will undergo restoration.

“The restoration process is significant, and we want to be able to restore Plumb-Bob to its original glory and honor it the way it should be,” Budzban said. “It is an historic element of this campus.”

Plumb-Bob’s future location is undecided. “There are a variety of options available for Plumb-Bob’s future, including the possibility of a featured place in a new Performing Arts Complex,” added SIUE Chancellor Dr. Randy Pembrook.

An architectural plan for that Performing Arts Complex is the goal of a CAS high-impact fundraising campaign. The centralized location would feature music and theater performance areas, and a significant amount of gallery space, both for the University Museum and the Department of Art and Design.

“A quality performing arts venue would allow SIUE to offer a space for interactions with the community,” Pembrook said. “It is important for many reasons, including recruiting students, supporting arts faculty and guest artists, providing a quality environment for performers and performances, and underscoring the importance of the arts to the University and the community.”

Past, present and future community engagement opportunities that promote public art and sculpture are continuously being discussed.

“This past fall, the Department of Art and Design’s sculpture program collaborated with Dean Budzban, Elizabeth Link and the Edwardsville Arts Center, and the City of Edwardsville to write an “Our Town” National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) grant,” explained sculpture professor Thad Duhigg. “If successful, this grant will facilitate the creation of student-produced large scale public sculptures, which will then be installed throughout Edwardsville.

“In addition, this grant would support a stone-carving symposium that will feature regional artists. Members of the public will be invited to watch and engage with the artists at four site-specific sculptures.”

The University’s Sculpture on Campus (SoC) program has offered engagement with student-produced pieces for 15 years.

“This program has populated the University and local community, including Edwardsville’s parks and Children’s Museum, with student-created works,” Duhigg said. “We are also currently engaged in discussions with the Edwardsville School District to loan student work for their campuses.”

To learn more about the College’s high-impact campaign, visit siue.edu/give/.

To follow the story of Plumb-Bob, visit @SIUEMuseum on Twitter, The University Museum at SIUE on Facebook and siue_museum on Instagram.

Photo: A crowd gathers to view one of the pieces featured in the 2016 Sculpture Walk at SIUE.