Le Baron, a large black geometric sculpture by world-class artist Alexander Calder, known for inventing wire sculptures, sits just a short walk from the center of campus, yet many students pass by without a second glance. The sculpture is one of NIU’s many hidden gems, and a new university task force wants to bring it, along with other pieces on campus into the spotlight.
The strategic planning task force aims to reshape the future of art at NIU by connecting the different collections of art and making them more accessible to students outside of museums.
Co-chaired by Jessica Labatte, director of the NIU School of Art and Design, and Fred Barnhart, dean of university libraries, the task force is the first to look globally at all of NIU’s art collections. The group – including representatives from the Pick Museum of Anthropology, the Center for Burma Studies and other campus departments – will deliver recommendations for creating a more engaging and financially sustainable arts culture to the university early in the new year.
“This is the first time a group like this has been brought together to really look at all these wonderful things we have on campus,” Barnhart said.
Labatte added the goal is for the group to serve as an example of collaboration for the rest of the university.
A key part of this new vision is celebrating hidden gems that many students don’t know exist. Labatte pointed to the Calder sculpture located near the Human Resources building on Lincoln Highway as a prime example of world-class art on campus that often goes unnoticed.
“We have one of two major sculptures of his (Calder) in the state of Illinois,” Labatte said. “When you go to the Library of Congress website, the only pictures in DeKalb are of this sculpture. That is so cool, right? And I think not everybody knows that that’s happening.”
The task force aims to make these and other works more visible by moving art outside of just the Altgeld Hall Art Museum and the Jack Arends building. Labatte envisions art appearing in the library, the MLK Commons and in hallways across campus, making it an integral part of the student experience.
For some students, it’s easy to overlook the art around them.
“I feel like a lot of people don’t see art that often because they’re more focused on their day-to-day, like going to classes and stuff, so they don’t really pay attention,” said Vivicka Bosque, a first-year early childhood education major.
Bosque said she would love to see more student-created art displayed in public spaces, a practice she misses from high school. She hopes the task force will achieve the mission of making art more accessible.
“Just bringing art to people that don’t normally see it. I feel like everyone deserves to see art,” Bosque said.
That sentiment is at the heart of the task force’s mission, according to Barnhart.
“Having art around you, even if you’re not an art major, that’s part of the transformative experience of being in college,” he said. “We really want to make the most of it for our students.”
The task force is actively seeking student and community input to help shape its recommendations. Students are encouraged to share their perspectives through an online survey.
Additionally, the group is hosting focus groups to gather more in-depth feedback, which can be signed up for online. Upcoming sessions will be held from 1 p.m to 2:30 p.m. Saturday in the Founders Memorial Library, and from 6 p.m to 7:30 p.m. Wednesday on Zoom. Students who attend the in-person session will be offered free pizza.
