The beauty of creation surrounds us on campus, including the creative works of talented artists. Public art both secular and spiritual can be found throughout the University, from statues to carvings to paintings. UD Magazine photographer Larry Burgess went on a hunt for the colorful, the whimsical and the sacred, and shares it with you in this Spring 2021 View Finder feature.

“Our Lady of the Marian Library”

by Robert C. Koepnick

Located on the south-facing side of Albert Emanuel Hall, the stone relief depicts a woman sitting in a chair with a halo and holding a book. In the mid 1960s, this relief was commissioned as a gift from Mr. and Mrs. Aloysius A. Roesch, whose son, Father Raymond Roesch, was a Marianist priest and president of UD from 1959 to 1979. At that time, the north and south wings were added to the original building of Albert Emanuel Hall. The south wing was the original home of the Marian Library. Founded in 1943, the Marian Library is the largest single collection of books and printed materials on the Blessed Virgin Mary. This depiction of Mary is often given the title “Seat of Wisdom.” Mary is sitting, but she is herself the seat — the holding place — for all wisdom that stems from the Word, who became her son, Jesus Christ.

“Untitled”

by Brother Mel Meyer, S.M. ’51

Also known as “Red Box,” this metal sculpture painted red sits outside Wohlleben Hall. Meyer (1928-2013) was helped found the Marianist Galleries in St. Louis. “Red Box” is one of 56 pieces donated to campus after his death. His legacy includes more than 10,000 documented works of art during a prolific career that spanned five decades.

“Kennedy’s Eternal Flame”

by Bill Thompson

The University commissioned the 9-foot-tall sculpture after President John F. Kennedy was assassinated. Thompson suggested it be made of bronze, but the University opted for less expensive Portland cement, crushed marble chips and reinforced rods. Originally installed in 1964, the statue was removed in 1997 during the renovation of Kennedy Union. It was refurbished and cast in bronze by John Leon and placed back on the steps of the union Oct. 8, 1998. It weighs 600 pounds and sits on an 800-pound slab of granite adorned with a plaque inscribed with the words of Kennedy: “The life of the arts, far from being an interruption, a distraction, in the life of a nation, is very close to the center of a nation’s purpose-and is a  test of the quality of a nation’s civilization.”

“Untitled”

by Brother Mel Meyer, S.M. ’51

Also known as “Metal Abstraction,” this sculpture is located between the Jesse Philips Humanities Center and Kenney Union. The plaque reads: “Sculpture by Brother Mel Meyer, S.M. Marianist Brother, artist and friend 1928-2013.”

“Untitled”

by Brother Mel Meyer, S.M. ’51

The abstract sculpture includes metal panels, wheels and rods growing out of a concrete base. It is located behind Kettering Labs along a walkway to the south student neighborhood. The plaque reads: “Sculpture by Brother Mel Meyer, S.M. Marianist Brother, artist and friend 1928-2013.”

“Mary, Seat of Wisdom”

by Joseph Aspell ’86

The large metal sculpture shows Mary as a mature woman seated with outstretched arms. It is located at the top of the Marianist cemetery where some of the early Marianists who lived and worked at UD are buried. In spring, it is surrounded by flowering trees and is a favorite spot to take photos on campus. Aspell is a former Marianist brother.

“Three O’Clock Prayer”

by Hamilton Dixon

The metal sculpture was installed in 2015 in St. Mary’s Courtyard between the Chapel of the Immaculate Conception and St. Mary’s Hall as part of the renovation of the chapel. It is reminiscent of a timepiece set to the 3 o’clock hour. Etched in marble around the base is the Three O’clock Prayer, a prayer of spiritual unity for Marianists around the world: “Lord Jesus, We gather in spirit at the foot of the cross with your mother and the disciple whom you loved. We ask your pardon from our sins which are the cause of your death. We thank you for remembering us in that hour of salvation and for giving us Mary as our Mother. Holy Virgin, take us under your protection and open us to the action of the Holy Spirit. Saint John, obtain for us the grace of taking Mary into our lives as you did and of assisting her in her mission. May the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit be glorified in all places through the Immaculate Virgin Mary. Amen.”

“Untitled”

by Brother Mel Meyer, S.M. ’51

Also known as “Abstract Colors,” this colorful painting features textures created with acrylic paint and heavy brush strokes. It is signed in the lower right corner “Mel 1990.” The painting is in the fourth-floor hallway of Raymond L. Fitz Hall.

“Untitled”

by Brother Mel Meyer, S.M. ’51

Known on campus as “Diamond Tower,” this intricate metal sculpture rises from a base outside the main entrance to Daniel J. Curran Place. The plaque reads "Sculpture by Brother Mel Meyer. Marianist Brother, artist, and friend 1928-2013."

“Untitled”

by Brother Mel Meyer, S.M. ’51

This colorful painting features an abstract cross and sun motif. It is signed in the lower right corner “Mel 1983.” It hangs in the first-floor hallway for Daniel J. Curran Place.

“Untitled”

by Brother Mel Meyer, S.M. ’51

This steel abstract sculpture is painted bright blue and is located outside of St. Mary’s Hall. It is signed by Meyer, who donated 56 pieces of his art to UD upon his death in 2013.

“Dante”

by William A. Galloway 

It is one of several 7-foot by 5-foot half-ton limestone carvings commissioned for the opening in 1993 of the Jesse Philips Humanities Center. Dante joins carvings of other greats in the humanities, including Moses Maimonides, as well as a series of quotations set in stone around the building.

“Untitled”

by Brother Mel Meyer, S.M. ’51

This steel abstract sculpture is painted bright red and is located outside the north entrance of Daniel J. Curran Place. The base is signed “Mel 1989.”

“Shakespeare”

by William A. Galloway  

It is one of several limestone carvings commissioned for the opening in 1993 of the Jesse Philips Humanities Center. It is next to this quotation by Flannery O’Connor carved in stone: “Mystery isn’t something that is gradually evaporating; it grows along with knowledge.” Galloway is a master carver at Angelo Stone Co. in Bedford, Indiana.

“Omega Point”

by Henry C. Setter ’51

The former UD professor created this metal sculpture in 1973. Its base was restored in 2009, and the sculpture was reset on the library lawn near the stairs leading from Roesch Library up to St. Mary’s. The sculpture includes a plaque with this quote from Jesuit priest Pierre Teilhard de Chardin: “Omega point is the furthest point of the whole cosmic process: a final point where the law of universal love will have reached its climax and its crown – Christ.”

“Untitled”

by Brother Mel Meyer, S.M. ’51

Known on campus as “Red Chair,” this whimsical metal sculpture portrays a red chair with a bronze pot of coiled flowers. It is located in the Central Mall between Wohlleben Hall and Marycrest Residence Complex.