Iowa State students and alumni gathered at the Anderson Sculpture Garden on Tuesday evening to stroll around campus and discover the art and trees commonly passed by. The walk featured a discussion of other campus sculptures and trees that make Iowa State so unique.
The tour gathered at Anderson Garden but toured near Agronomy Hall, Gerdin Business Building and Carver Hall throughout the night.
The event was hosted by Professor Jeff Iles from the department of horticulture and Sydney Marshall, assistant curator of University Museums.
The walking tour began at the Ghost Trees near Morrill Hall. The sculpture was created by artist Tom Stancliffe for Iowa State University. Aptly named, the metal trees collect sunlight during the day and glow at night.
“The artist is trying to create an experience,” Marshall said. “And with the light shining through the leaves, that is the first feeling he is trying to create.”
The tour made some stops along the way to look at bur oak trees, paperbark maple and Austrian pines around campus. Attendees learned about some of the 13,000 trees that make up the campus and even tried some of the fruit.
Emily Kucera, a junior majoring in forestry, attended the tour looking for new ways of connecting outside classes and thought the sculptures and trees around campus gave her background a deeper meaning.
“I think it gives students a chance to look at something that might be less boring than what they would experience in a classroom setting,” Kucera said. “They are looking at a computer all day and they get to go outside and look at these really cool trees we’ve had for hundreds of years.”
Over at the agronomy department, the sculpture Janus Agri Altar references the Roman god Janus. Marshall clarified that the sculpture can represent looking forward and backward in time.
“This is like we are looking to the past, or we are looking to the future,” Marshall said. “Often, if you guessed innovation in a work of art, you are good to go.”
The tour ended at Carver Hall, discussing the sculpture of George Washington Carver, created by Christian Petersen. The sculpture shows Carver holding a peanut, highlighting his passion for agriculture and science.
Iles took some time to address the issue the campus is facing and the importance of continuing to care for our greenery.
“We have a problem on Central Campus; a lot of our trees are aging up, and we haven’t planted a lot of new ones to take their place,” Iles said. “Imagine this place without trees. To me, it softens the architecture, and shade is important too, but to me, it’s beautiful.”
Motivating students to see Iowa State’s campus in a new light, the walking tour encourages appreciation for the beautiful trees and sculptures.
