Green Art A Perfect Fit for the Green Mountains

Author: Alexxa Gotthardt

Over the summer, Solid State Change, a 6,000-pound sculpture, was installed on the grounds of the Hillcrest Environmental Center, kicking off what seems to be a newfound commitment to environmental art at the College. The sculpture, created by Brooklyn-based artist Deborah Fisher, showcases not only the College's increasing commitment to public art, but also its continuing commitment to environmental awareness and action.

The substantial work rises from the ground in the space between Proctor Dining Hall and Hillcrest Environmental Center. The black mass of recycled tires, plastic installation and copper wire seems to slide, shift and grow from the ground, into Hillcrest's newly completed walls. Heavy and massive, at first glance the work might resemble a large boulder, not unlike many that dot the campus. And that may be precisely the idea Fisher was going for when she created the piece.

"Fisher wanted to echo the shape of what is beneath the ground we walk on at Middlebury," said Chief Curator of the Middlebury College Museum of Art (MCMA) Emmie Donadio. "She extensively studied the geology of the state and wanted to recreate its forms in this sculpture," continued Donadio.

Solid State Change's combined use of recycled materials and specific attention to its surrounding natural environment seem to make it an apt candidate for categorization as environmental art, and an ideal fit for its location next to Hillcrest. This was no accident, for the sculpture was commissioned by the Committee on Art in Public Places (CAPP) specifically for the spot. Since CAPP's inception in 1994, it has both purchased and commissioned numerous public works of art that can be spotted all over campus - from McCardell BiCentennial Hall to the New Library to the Center of Fine Arts (CFA).

The purchase of these works is funded by the "One Percent for Art" policy, which, according to Director of MCMA Richard Saunders in a report, "Sets aside one percent of the cost of any renovation or new construction at the college for the purchase, installation, maintenance and interpretation of works of art publicly displayed on campus."

To ensure that the public art funded by "One Percent for Art" corresponds with its location and, as Donadio said, "has a lasting cultural impact on the College," CAPP is comprised of a diverse range of members. In addition to MCMA officials and other authoritative voices from the College's art community, CAPP is also made up of project-to-project visiting guests "pivotal to the projects being considered," according to a MCMA report.

In the case of Solid State Change, these visiting committee members included Dean of Environmental Affairs Nan Jenks-Jay, who was markedly pleased with the choice of piece.

"The artwork and Hillcrest Environmental Center share certain values," said Jenks-Jay. "It is important that through artistic expression, people are exposed to various interpretations of the earth and its resources, which Solid State Change certainly achieves."

In addition to Solid State Change, the installation of another environmentally-driven public work began Monday. CAPP's newest commission comes to the College through the internationally recognized sculptor Patrick Dougherty. Dougherty has earned an impressive track-record constructing his sizeable, site-specific sculptural installations in venues around the world. At Middlebury, Dougherty embarks on a three-week residency during which he will build a large-scale sculpture out of indigenous materials of Vermont - namely twigs and saplings. With the help and collaboration of the Middlebury community, Dougherty will build the work in front of CFA.

Dougherty's previous works, which could be described as organic architecture, have created forms and spaces resembling large scale nests, cocoons, dens and secret hideaways to be contemplated, entered and explored.

Over the next few months, the sculpture will grow, transform, complete and remain on view as long as its structural integrity holds up against the Vermont weather.

Are these two most recent public art additions to the College a sign of an increasing amount of environmentally-inspired art on campus?

"The correspondence of these two environmentally-driven sculptures was a coincidence," said Donadio. However, this does not mean environmental art will not continue to pop up around campus. "CAPP provides a great opportunity for Middlebury to show artists who are environmentally aware," said Donadio. "It is part of the ethos of the College and therefore will continue to be considered in CAPP's future decisions."

Already up along the walls of MCMA's Art Now Gallery is a small exhibition of photographs and video documentation of Dougherty's previous projects. In addition to the photographs, one wall of the gallery is covered by correspondence between Dougherty and CAPP, as well as information on how to participate in the project and documentation outlining Dougherty's goals for the piece now underway at Middlebury.This exhibition will successfully complement Dougherty's sculpture, adding breadth and history to both the artist and the work.

Solid State Change is a permanent public work of art and Dougherty's sculpture will continue to develop over the coming months. Another CAPP project in the works is slated for installment either on the grounds or inside the new Donald Everett Axinn '51 Center for Literary and Cultural Studies. This project will give CAPP the opportunity to collaborate with yet another discipline and department.