PUBLIC ART PROMPTS CREATIVITY AND INNOVATION


Tomato-shaped bike racks in front of Earth Fare. Figurative “Wheels in Motion” at a roundabout on Constitution Boulevard. A dangling, upside-down flower behind McLaurin Hall.


These artworks and many more have emerged from the College of Visual and Performing Arts’ longtime emphasis on public art…and more importantly, the opportunities for students to create them.


Professor of Fine Arts Shaun Cassidy helps facilitate those opportunities, including a recent series of sculptures at the U.S. headquarters of Atlas Copco in Rock Hill’s University Center and four steel panels in Hardin Garden.


As a professional artist, Cassidy never set out to be a teacher – it just happened.


“But I like the idea of students being taught by people who are professionally active in their fields,” he said. “That’s something that distinguishes our art department.”


‘…immensely valuable’ Cassidy and students spent the spring 2023 semester diving into the paid Atlas Copco project.


The process involved visiting the site, researching the company’s values, brainstorming, creating a presentation and showing the CEO their ideas.


“Doing these things in the public arena, outside of academia, is very different from working inside of the university because at the university, a


4 Barkley - "Flow" Genegrasso "Threads" Barkley - "Flow"


“As an educator, that’s what makes it immensely valuable,” Cassidy noted. “Not only are they getting paid for their skills, ideations and practical- building methods, they’re also expanding themselves as artists, which for me is a double-win.”


Winthrop Students - "Connecting"


On campus, students drew inspiration from the Four Elements – earth, water, air, fire – to create panels in Hardin Garden. The panels, composed of welded and painted steel, are anchored into existing brick frames, perfect for a “campus that’s ripe for public art,” according to Cassidy.


“Public art is a very effective way to communicate to the broader community that this institution is really invested in creativity and innovation.”


‘…opportunities to be successful’ Public art symbolizes something else for students as well.


Each sculpture student created one wall-mounted piece for Atlas Copco’s Rock Hill headquarters.


student can fail,” Cassidy said. “When I say ‘fail,’ I mean that in a positive, trial-and-error way, you learn a lot from it. But in these kinds of projects, you have to produce a product that’s on a professional level. It does force the students to raise their game, and they all did.”


Each student created one wall-mounted sculpture, and together worked on a larger-scale sculpture, referencing Atlas Copco’s industrial nature.


“They see that their skills have value and that there are opportunities to be successful after graduating,” Cassidy said. “It’s also gratifying building a work and knowing it will be there for a long period of time. It will become part of the history of the building and the company.”


Todd Stewart ’06, vice president of public art for Charlotte’s Arts & Science Council, can attest to that.


Stewart always knew he wanted to study art, and after meeting Winthrop fine arts faculty and staff, he knew it was the place for him.


Art major Claire Kirkley posed with her piece in Hardin Garden.


“Art has been a central part of my life from a young age,” Stewart said. “I lucked up in that faculty showed me many, many avenues I could take in terms of a career.”


As a student, Stewart worked with Cassidy on Stewart’s public art piece, “a challenging build” entitled “Vessel,” which is located between Kinard Hall and the Leitner Wall.


“It was a huge personal milestone, and I’m thrilled it’s still a part of Winthrop’s campus,” he said.


Stewart and Cassidy recently switched roles when they worked together on “Rivulet” and “Sycamore,” two sculptures Cassidy created with landscape designer Laurel Holtzapple for the Cross Charlotte Trail.


“We have a long history of working on projects together. I continue to learn so much from him,” Stewart said. “He’s my role model.”


Learn more about Winthrop’s public art at https://www.winthrop.edu/virtualtour/ points-of-interest.aspx as well as its sculpture program at www.winthrop.edu/cvpa.


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