Outdoor Sculptures on the UCSB Campus (Tour)

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Three sculptures by Ernest Shaw dot the campus of UC Santa Barbara. This one is located in front of the most recognizable structure on campus, Storke Tower. Situated in the grassy lawn, next to the main bike path, it is in one of the most prized locations on campus. With tens of thousands of students biking, walking, and skateboarding within feet of the sculpture, it is one of the most seen pieces of art on campus.

2. Shongon XXIII by Ernest Shaw

Three sculptures by Ernest Shaw dot the campus of UC Santa Barbara. This one is located along the main walkway between the Library and Girvetz Hall. Its prominent location at one of the busiest pedestrian areas of campus would be quite striking if it were not partially hidden behind a lamppost. This area is known as the Arbor Mall, named after the convenience store which sits at the north end of Gervitz Hall. During the school year, it is a major gathering place for various clubs and organizations-- many set up tables and booths to encourage membership in various groups.

3. Ruins V by Ernest Shaw

Three sculptures by Dr. Ernest Shaw dot the campus of UC Santa Barbara. The first one is located in front of the Physical Sciences North building, adjacent to the Chemistry Building, and facing the wide green expanse of the East Lawn. The sharp, angular metal sculpture contrasts with the classically styled Post-Modern building by Robert A.M. Stern. the art piece had previously been sited closer to the Library, but is now tucked away closer to the building.

4. Eternal Flame

Right in the middle of the walkway between the library and Ellison Hall, the Eternal Flame is a monument to Civil Rights leaders Martin Luther King Jr, President John F. Kennedy, and his brother Robert Kennedy who were assassinated within a 5 year time span. The eternal flame as a symbol is used in a variety of contexts to represent eternal life or the spirit and ideas of those that have passed, keeping them “alive” in the form of the flame. In light of the civil rights activism that occurred on campus during the 1960’s, including the 1968 occupation of North Hall protesting the racism athletes experienced, the memorial fits within UCSB campus and its history.

5. Peace Garden

Located near the Eternal Flame, between Ellison Hall and the Davidson Library, the Peace Garden is an intriguing mix of metal and stone that creates this peaceful space. Dedicated in 1984 by the graduating class that year, it’s plaque reading “Dedicated by the Class of 1984 in hopes for international peace in the Olympic year.” Created by David Trowbridge, an American artist, this piece is one that stands out and disrupts the green grass.

6. Flying Pencil Sculpture by Peter Logan

Located just outside of Ellison Hall to the north of the Davidson library, this kinetic sculpture titled Flying Pencil Sculpture by Peter Logan in 1996 is extremely apt for its location on campus. Made out of stainless steel and aluminum, these red and blue pencils are balanced on top of each other to look as though they are weightless and defy physical logic. Interacting with natural elements on campus, the pencils move to create a dynamic and whimsical sculpture. As told from the UCSB Museum accession notes, the pencils: “are a symbol of harmony between nature and technology, and a whimsical reference to the ongoing academic and creative work on campus.”

7. Clement Meadmore's Up Ended

Almost invisible in front of the Art Building despite its large size, Up Ended by Clement Meadmore stands at the entrance of the Arts Building, on a pile of stones and flanked by palm trees and is made of cor-ten steel and Black paint. The work was originally displayed near North Hall, but was moved into the shady front of the Art Building. The piece announces the Art Building and is as austere as the dark concrete and cinderblock walls of the Art Building, blending in almost seamlessly. However, the work also contrasts with the horizontal and vertical lines of the Arts Building with its curves, emphasizing the impressive skill to create the smooth curve.

8. Mowry Baden's Untitled

A piece easily missed, this wood, stone, concrete and aluminum ramp overlooks the rear of the Art’s Building towards the parking lot, a logical conundrum as it is a ramp to nowhere. Hidden from view in the overgrown bushes surrounding it, this work also tends to blend into its background creating mystery within itself. When visiting this interactive piece, consider looking for other pieces around UCSB’s campus that are hidden or less visible, there is a surprising amount of outdoor art on the campus!

9. Against Forgetting by Penelope Gottlieb

A digital print made of vinyl, aluminum over panel, acrylic and ink, this large and fragmented mural wraps around the hallway in the Arts Building. Look above at the ceiling and around the mural to find smaller parts scattered around the building! Accomplished painter and draughtswoman, Penelope Gottlieb has focused her artistic practice on studying and depicting threatened and extinct native plants. At first glance, Gottlieb’s colorful, cartoon-like images read as joyful, upbeat scenes. A closer look, however, reveals plants in an epic battle with invasive species often gaining the upper hand and subsuming the native ones. For this outdoor installation, a first for the artist, she focused on historical, regional flora. The large yellow flower on the far right of the mural is Potentillia multijuga, which once grew in the Los Angeles area. Diplacus brandegeei, now extinct, was found on the Channel Islands, which are visible from this location in the distance. The flower is pictured growing on a hybrid tea rose stem on the wall opposite the main composition.

10. Untitled by Bernard Rosenthal

Positioned just below a set of steps in the Art Museum courtyard, in between the Westfall and Gottlieb murals, this bronze piece stands out against the lighter wall behind it. Created in 1965, the sculpture is an intriguing mix of industrial and organic forms. The chunks of bronze at certain angles look like rocks, while at others recall scrap metal that emphasizes the material it is made of. Enjoy this piece from different angles, does it remind you of anything else?

11. Argus By Stephen Westfall

Stephen Westfall’s formalist approach to art examines line, color, and shape rather than representational images. Consequently, his works are colorful, geometrically-abstract paintings, such as Argus. This complex composition keeps the viewer’s eye moving in an attempt to determine a predictable order of colors (which does not exist) and to identify all the myriad shapes and patterns that make up the work, from squares, triangles and diamonds to X’s and zig zags. Sustained examination of the composition also reveals an optical effect in which the diamond shapes appear to shift between receding into, and projecting out of, the plane of the painting.

12. Annular Eclipse VI by George Rickey

Just to the left of the Art Museum looking out over the lagoon stands the gleaming stainless steel sculpture, interacting with the natural elements including the sun and breeze coming from the ocean. The whimsy of this piece fits in with UCSB’s upbeat atmosphere and environment, connecting to the location beyond aesthetics.

13. Sandstone Rocks by Isabelle Greene

Just outside the museum stands a large rock that appears at odds with the manicured landscape of the UCEN Courtyard. This rock, however, was placed there on purpose by Isabelle Greene. Looking closer, a set of initials is carved into the rock, a subtle placement on the back of the rock. The initials spell the name of a prominent female landscape architect in Santa Barbara: Isabelle Greene. A pioneer in a field dominated by men, Isabelle Greene is highly accomplished, creating many of the beautiful landscapes dotted around the local Santa Barbara area, for private and public use. Projects like LotusLand in Montecito and prominent private residences make up only part of her career in Southern California. She is known for creating beautiful landscapes and designs using native plants which are sustainable, drought-tolerant, and beautiful.

14. Fletcher Benton's Folded Circle T and Arc, 2012

Standing just outside the AD&A Museum, this abstract sculpture by Fletcher Benton titled: Folded Circle T and Arc, created in 2012 forms interesting shapes out of Cort-Ten weathering steel that casts a harsh contrast to the green grass surrounding it. Gifted by Dr. Yoel Haller and Eva Haller, a married couple with Mrs. Haller a philanthropist and Trustee of the University of California Santa Barbara, it fits within the sculptural landscape of campus with its modern and industrial character. Be sure to walk around this sculpture and find different angles, there is no one way to view this piece of art!

15. UCSB Art, Design & Architecture Museum

In a serene setting alongside a Pacific lagoon, the Art, Design & Architecture Museum at the University of California, Santa Barbara provides intimate access to art. Through rotating installations of its permanent collections along with special exhibitions and programs, the AD&A Museum is both a teaching museum, committed to the development of critical thinking and visual literacy in support of the University’s goals of education, research, and service, and a resource for the wider Santa Barbara community.

This Tour is a Virtual Museum or Site Tour.

Outdoor Sculptures on the UCSB Campus

Created by Julia Larson on February 25th 2021, 5:19:54 pm.

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Description

The University of California, Santa Barbara campus has a wide variety of outdoor sculptures and visual art pieces located throughout the main campus. Many of the art pieces are located near the Art, Design & Architecture Museum, which is where this virtual tour begins. The Museum is centrally located on campus, near the base of the iconic Storke Tower (the tallest structure on campus). When visiting the UCSB campus, parking can be limited and there is always a fee, so plan accordingly. Also of note if visiting for the first time, bicyclists and skateboarders have the right-of-way in their designated paths; look carefully when crossing bike paths during your walking tour.

Entries on This Tour

Outdoor Sculptures on the UCSB Campus

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