2008 Woodie Awards
What is that metal statue on the way to class?
Karrin Randle '10
Issue date: 1/31/07 Section: Features
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When asked to comment on the steel sculpture located in the main part of campus, many people queried "What sculpture?" or "I didn't even know there was a sculpture there!" For 10 years now, Saint Joseph's University has prominently displayed one of the sculptures of a Philadelphia modern artist, Leon Sitarchuk. However, many people on campus are completely unaware of this structure's existence and its history.
Located on a hill between Bellarmine Hall and Drexel Library, Sitarchuk's eight-foot-high sculpture "Vestige" is an abstract piece composed of Corten steel, which gives the structure its rusty appearance and somewhat earthy quality. Sitarchuk's sculptures, as evidenced by "Vestige", are notable for "power, grace, and unsurpassed craftsmanship" according to the Times Herald. While the meaning of this angular sculpture may seem somewhat ambiguous, Dennis McNally, S.J., chair of the Department of Fine and Performing Arts, said it "seems to be about the aspirations of the University or the city."
While the modern sculpture could be seen as out of place, Fr. McNally explained that the sculpture actually meshes quite well with its surroundings.
"The sculpture has a soaring quality like the gothic tower of the Barbelin building, a plain quality like the Bellarmine building, and a rusty color that mimics the color of the Science Center."
The angular sculpture was donated in January 1997 by the local artist Sitarchuk's widow, Peggy Sitarchuk. She gave "Vestige", one of her husband's favorite pieces, to the University because she believed the school stands for principles her family believed in, including a great respect for people, their ideas, and their way of life. The Sitarchuks' strong connections to the Philadelphia area also prompted her generous donation.
Born in Philadelphia in 1922, Leon Sitarchuk was inspired at an early age by the city and its suburbs. At Temple University's Tyler School of Art, he earned both his baccalaureate and master's degrees in fine arts and education. While he dabbled in several mediums, he gained significant recognition at the Third Sculpture International, an exhibition of various types of sculpture, in 1949 for his large, abstract steel pieces that average about five-and-a-half feet high.
Located on a hill between Bellarmine Hall and Drexel Library, Sitarchuk's eight-foot-high sculpture "Vestige" is an abstract piece composed of Corten steel, which gives the structure its rusty appearance and somewhat earthy quality. Sitarchuk's sculptures, as evidenced by "Vestige", are notable for "power, grace, and unsurpassed craftsmanship" according to the Times Herald. While the meaning of this angular sculpture may seem somewhat ambiguous, Dennis McNally, S.J., chair of the Department of Fine and Performing Arts, said it "seems to be about the aspirations of the University or the city."
While the modern sculpture could be seen as out of place, Fr. McNally explained that the sculpture actually meshes quite well with its surroundings.
"The sculpture has a soaring quality like the gothic tower of the Barbelin building, a plain quality like the Bellarmine building, and a rusty color that mimics the color of the Science Center."
The angular sculpture was donated in January 1997 by the local artist Sitarchuk's widow, Peggy Sitarchuk. She gave "Vestige", one of her husband's favorite pieces, to the University because she believed the school stands for principles her family believed in, including a great respect for people, their ideas, and their way of life. The Sitarchuks' strong connections to the Philadelphia area also prompted her generous donation.
Born in Philadelphia in 1922, Leon Sitarchuk was inspired at an early age by the city and its suburbs. At Temple University's Tyler School of Art, he earned both his baccalaureate and master's degrees in fine arts and education. While he dabbled in several mediums, he gained significant recognition at the Third Sculpture International, an exhibition of various types of sculpture, in 1949 for his large, abstract steel pieces that average about five-and-a-half feet high.
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