Classroom

Jerry West was born on May 28, 1938 in Chelyan, West Virginia. He attended East Bank High school and graduated in 1956.&nbsp;As&nbsp;East Bank's shooting guard he led them&nbsp;to a state title in 1956 while averaging 32.2 points per game. He was the only prep player to score 900 points in a season. West then attended West Virginia University where he averaged 24.8 point per game. He was also named an All-American twice.West then was drafted in 1960 by the Minneapolis Lakers, now known as the Los Angels Lakers. The man drafted above him was Oscar Robertson. West won a gold medal with Robertson and the US National Team in 1960 at Rome. West spent 14 years with the Lakers and made the All-Star team every single year of his career, and gaining the nickname Mr.Clutch among&nbsp;peers in the NBA.&nbsp;He led the Lakers to nine NBA titles games only winning one of those nine appearances in 1972.West retired from the game he loved and devoted so much of his time to in 1974. West left behind a legacy when he retired. West retired as the third leading scorer in NBA history behind Wilt Chamberlin and Oscar Robertson.&nbsp;He career points per game average at 27 is fourth among retired players. West did not leave basketball however after he became head coach of his former team the LA Lakers in 1976 staying on only for three years. He then was a scout of the team for another three years and then became general manger in 1982. After 40 years connected to the Lakers in some way West retired. He then later was President of basketball operations for the Memphis Grizzles in 2002. West now resides as one of the Board Members of the Golden State Warriors.

Jerry West Statue at West Virginia University Coliseum 

Video

Artist discusses Jerry West sculpture for WVU, part 1 of 2

Artist discusses Jerry West sculpture for WVU, part 2 of 2

Making of the Jerry West Statue - Vandalia Bronze

Other

In February 2007, West Virginia University dedicated a life-size bronze statute to honor one of the greatest basketball players to play for the Mountaineers, Jerry West. Situated outside the Coliseum in Morgantown, the statue complements the Jerry West Lounge that was established during the 1998-99 season. Jerry West was a West Virginia native who went on to be a 14-time NBA All-Star and an NBA champion. This statue, created by Morgantown artist Jamie Lester, honors the man who many believe changed West Virginia University basketball forever. 

Jerry West Statue at West Virginia University Coliseum

Contributor

From outdoor sculptures and murals to indoor galleries and venues, Morgantown offers many opportunities for experiencing art for free! This Clio tour explores works of art on the Evansdale campus of WVU and Star City area. This tour was created to complement the West Virginia University Libraries Public Art Guide, a PDF of which can be found on the Visit Mountaineer Country website or you can generate a PDF by clicking on the link to a PDF below. 

Completed in 1956, these looming pylons celebrate medical accomplishments and advancements across modern history in the fields of pharmacy, dentistry, nursing, and medicine. With the word "pylon" coming from a Greek word meaning "gateway," the sculpture represents WVU as a gateway for students entering careers in medicine.The sculpture was commissioned by Health Sciences architects in 1954. They hired sculptor Milton Horn, who was known for his public works of art. Born in 1906 in Kiev (now the capital of Ukraine, it was part of Russia until 1917), Horn immigrated to the United States in 1915. As a teenager, he studied under Henry Hudson Kitson, who sculpted military heroes such as the Minuteman at Lexington, Massachusetts in a realistic style. Horn developed his own unique style of sculpture while studying at the Beaux-Arts Institute of Design in New York City in the 1920s. Early in his career, Horn created bas-relief sculptures for the Treasury Department's Section of Fine Arts in the 1930s and collaborated with Frank Lloyd Wright on some projects. Horn moved to Chicago in 1949 and began leaving his architectural mark on buildings across the city, including university buildings, a high school, and a synagogue.With the development of WVU's Evansdale and Medical campuses in the 1950s, the University expanded in an unprecedented fashion. Campus buildings were constructed in modern architectural styles to reflect WVU's entrance into the prosperous postwar era. It was in this time that Milton Horn was commissioned to create a work of art to commemorate the new School of Medicine. He designed four towering pylons with bas-relief images of medical pioneers throughout history. These figures include:<ul><li>Hippocrates, the original patient advocate and one of the most prominent figures in medical history.</li><li>Aristotle, best known as the Father of Western Philosophy.</li><li>Benventus Grassus, the pioneer of ophthalmology, who studied the structures of the human eye.</li><li>Louis Pasteur, who successfully developed a rabies cure in 1885.</li><li>Pierre Fauchard, credited as being the Father of Modern Dentistry.</li><li>William Harvey, who studied the circulation of blood throughout the human body.</li><li>Steven Hales, who developed the process of measuring blood pressure.</li><li>Andrea Vesalius, author of the first anatomy book based on human dissection.</li><li>William Beaumont, the Father of Gastric Physiology and researcher of the human digestive system.</li><li>Wilhelm Rontgen, who received the first Nobel Prize in Physics for discovering X-rays.</li><li>Ephraim McDowell, the first person to successfully remove an ovarian tumor.</li></ul>

Located in the entrance of the Health Sciences Center Library on the Medical Campus at WVU, these 1956 marble sculptures have served as a symbol of the history of medicine, as well as a symbol of what WVU Medicine has brought to this area. 

Milton Horn’s History of Medicine Marble

WVU's history of medicine dates back to&nbsp;1887 when the first medical school building was established. The Hick House, a modest shed below Woodburn Hall, allowed students to conduct dissections to learn about human physiology. The two-year program was added in 1912 and housed in a medical school building near Woodburn Hall from 1916 to 1957. It was not until 1957 that the Health Sciences complex we see today was completed. As part of WVU's mid-century expansion, which included the construction of science-focused campuses at Evansdale, the University Hospital, four-year medical program, and Health Sciences Library were established. Visitors to the medical center are greeted by Milton Horn's marble sculptures known as "<a target="_blank" rel="nofollow" href="https://theclio.com/web/entry?id=61343">the Pylons</a>." The Health Sciences Library contains The History of Medicine Book Collection, currently located on level one of the library stacks. The collection contains histories of health sciences disciplines, diseases&nbsp;and&nbsp;treatments, biographies of medical pioneers, as well as early textbooks and research publications.&nbsp;The Health Sciences Library also subscribes to&nbsp;the history&nbsp;of medicine journals and databases to supplement the book collection. A window showcasing the collection is currently on display in the library. The Health Sciences Library currently features an exhibit by Allan Jones Photography. It features microscopic medical photographs taken by Allan Jones using an Olympus polarizing microscope at 10X objective. Jones worked at the WVU Eye Center after graduating from the Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale and following a biomedical photography internship at Mount Sinai Hospital in Miami. He also worked at the King Khaled Eye Hospital and King Faisal Specialist Hospital in Saudi Arabia before returning to WVU in 2004. He retired from the institute in 2008. The Life: Magnified collection is also on exhibit in the library. Thirteen images from the National Institute of Health feature images magnified about 50,000 times and illuminated by light boxes. The bold colored images include cells, bacteria, viruses and other microscopic organisms who have been tinted with dyes or enhanced with graphic design programs to allow scientists to study structures within the images. Prior to coming to WVU, the Life: Magnified collection was on display in the Washington Dulles International Airport's Gateway Gallery.

The Health Sciences Library is one of seven libraries on West Virginia University's campuses. It's located on the 2nd floor of the Robert C. Byrd Health Sciences Center (North), in the Learning Center above the Pylons atrium. It provides support for the schools of Medicine, Dentistry, Nursing, Pharmacy, and Public Health. The library was initially known as the Medical Center Library and opened in the Basic Sciences Building in 1957. This came after pressure for the university to build a medical library since 1935. The library's name was changed in 1993 when the Medical Center changed its name in honor of Senator Robert C. Byrd.

Health Sciences Library, WVU Libraries

Charlie Erickson, born in 1913 in Northfolk, WV, was a business and community leader throughout his life in West Virginia. He never finished school, dropping out to work in his father's bakery, but was a successful entrepreneur who operated a laundry and bathhouse before becoming the mayor of Man, West Virginia in 1942. As mayor, he used his own funds to bring cable television to the homes of the residents in Logan County, WV. After his tenure as mayor, he moved to Parkersburg where he established the Durfee TV Cable Company and became actively involved in the West Virginia Cable Television Association, serving on the organization's board of directors. In 1977 he was named the "Pioneer" of cable by the board. Erickson was an active civic leader in the community throughout his life and served on the advisory board for the Parkersburg Boys Club and on the board of director for the Wood County Cancer Society. As a businessman he served on the BOD for the Parkersburg National Bank and the West Virginia University Foundation. After his retirement, Erickson created the Erickson Foundation to focus on higher education in West Virginia.The Erickson Foundation sponsored eleven alumni centers at universities and colleges throughout West Virginia. According to Charlie Erickson,<blockquote>"Do you know anything that is better than an alumni center, which will go on for years and years to come and help the universities?" </blockquote>The original Erickson Alumni Center was designed by internationally acclaimed artist Michael Graves and is also located on Patteson Drive. This building served as the Erickson Alumni Center from 1986 until 2008, when the new center was opened. Following completion of the new center, the original location was connected to the Art Museum of WVU and converted to become the Museum Education Center. The new West Virginia University Alumni Center was designed by IKM Incorporated Architects. The architecture of the building is reminiscent of the second empire style through the use of visible brick and concrete and in the sharply sloped eaves. These architectural choices draw parallels to many of WVU's most iconic buildings, such as Woodburn Hall. Housed in the Alumni Center is the Nutting Gallery which opened as part of WVU's 150th year anniversary. The gallery had contained the exhibit titled "Through the Looking Glass: Early Glass Plate Views of West Virginia University." It contained over 30 glass plate prints collected from the West Virginia Regional History Center that showcase WVU from 1867-1920. The exhibit is now closed, as it was open from February 7th to March 31st, 2017. Currently housed in the Alumni Center is Kacy Harrison's depiction of the USS West Virginia. USS West Virginia was one of the battleships that sank during the World War II attack on Pearl Harbor. Harrison, a former student in the College of Creative Arts, won first place in a contest sponsored by a Chicago metro chapter of the WVU Alumni Association. The association wanted to honor the veterans and expose students to the art field of military paintings as it sought contestants to create images of the historic battleship. The painting was unveiled on May 1, 2015 during a reception at the Nutting Gallery located in Erickson Alumni Center.

The West Virginia University (WVU) Erickson Alumni Center is one of eleven alumni centers in West Virginia that were sponsored by the Erickson Foundation. The building was completed in 2008 and is the second location of The Erickson Alumni Center at WVU. It was designed to replace the original Erickson Alumni Center building, now the WVU Museum Education Center, after the WVU Alumni Association outgrew it. The center boasts landscaped grounds, art by WVU alumni, and frequent events.

The Erickson Alumni Center

Jack Fleming was born in Morgantown on February 3, 1923. Fleming served as a United States Air Force navigator during World War II, where he flew 23 combat missions. Fleming found his love for radio while recuperating at Ashford Military Hospital. He attended West Virginia University through the GI Bill, a federal law signed in 1944 that supported millions of veterans returning from war. It was at WVU that he began his career as a sportscaster, announcing games as an undergraduate beginning in 1947.Known as the “Voice of the Mountaineers,” Fleming&nbsp;served as the school's football and basketball announcer during the periods 1947–1959, 1962–1969, and 1974–1996. He&nbsp;was also the announcer for&nbsp;the Pittsburgh Steelers (1965-1993) and the Chicago Bulls&nbsp;(1970–1973; 1978–1979).&nbsp;He is most famous for his call of the “Immaculate Reception” pass caught by Pittsburgh Steelers’ Franco Harris in the 1972 Steelers-Oakland Raiders playoff game. In addition to play-by-play announcing, Fleming held management roles as the general manager of WAJR in Morgantown (1960-1970) and the sports director of WTAE-TV in Pittsburgh (1970-73).During his tenure with the NBA and the NFL, Fleming broadcast four Super Bowls, seven AFC championships, and one NBA All-Star game.&nbsp;He was awarded West Virginia sportscaster of the year seven times, as well as the 1996 Gene Morehouse Award and the Chris Schenkel Award from the College Football Hall of Fame in 1999. For outstanding service to WVU and the state of WV, Fleming was inducted into WVU’s Order of the Vandalia. In 2001, he was inducted into the WVU Sports Hall of Fame.Fleming passed away on January 3, 2001, in Fairmont. His legacy lives on in a statue at the Erickson Alumni Center. This statue was completed by Jamie Lester, also the artist of Morganotwn statues depicting Jerry West, Zackquill Morgan, and Don Knotts. Fleming's statue is displayed in the Alumni Center's "Fleming Corner," surrounded by memoriabilia that showcases the breadth of his career. The Fleming Corner was funded by the West Virginia Radio Corporation.

Jack Fleming (1923-2001) was an announcer for the Pittsburgh Steelers, Chicago Bulls, and WVU football and basketball. Known as the "Voice of the Mountaineers," Jack Fleming served as WVU's football and basketball announcer intermittently from 1947 to 1996. This statue was commissioned by John and Anita Fleming in 2009 and was completed by artist Jamie Lester. Located in the Fleming Corner of the Erickson Alumni Center, the Vandalia Bronze statue of Fleming serves as a memorial to the man once described by Jerry West as "an artist with words."

Jack Fleming Statue, Erickson Alumni Center

The new Agricultural Sciences Building was built after it was determined that the old agricultural sciences building had too many structural issues to undergo major renovation. It was a significant part of the re-imagining of agricultural sciences at WVU's Davis College. The excavation started on September 12, 2013, and the building opened nearly three years later. The facility is five stories tall with 207,000 square feet and is adjacent to the old building.&nbsp;The building includes two computer labs, six general purpose classrooms, and numerous departmental teaching and research laboratories that support a variety of disciplines such as entomology, genetics, animal sciences, landscape architecture, soil science, human nutrition, and more.&nbsp; Many sustainability features are incorporated into the building's design, including&nbsp;an energy recovery system that captures heat or cold exhausted from laboratories and&nbsp;HVAC&nbsp;system that reduces exhaust from unoccupied laboratories; occupancy and motion sensors in many rooms; and a green roof on the west side of the building, which helps with regulating building temperature, reducing maintenance and replacement of roof systems, and retaining more stormwater than a typical roof. The green roof also provides beautification and improves air quality. Featured in the main lobby is the Pamela Mann Quilt, handcrafted by Pamela Mann, an interior design alumnus from the Davis College's class of '89. The quilt was designed to commemorate the opening and dedication of the new building. The quilt features representations of the various disciplines within the Davis college, including Land Management, Horitculture, and Landscape Architecture. Other finishing touches throughout the building include custom hardwood furniture&nbsp; from Gat Creek, a local West Virginia manufacturer.

The new West Virginia University Agricultural Sciences Building opened September 9th, 2016 and lies adjacent to the original Agricultural Sciences Building that was built in 1961, which had not undergone any significant renovations since its completion. It is a five story, 207,000 square foot building that is nestled in WVU's Evansdale campus and pays homage to the college's land-grant heritage. It was designed to accommodate the needs of the Davis College of Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Design, and features research labs that support animal and nutritional sciences, landscape architecture, and soil sciences, among other things. 

New Agricultural Sciences Building

The first iteration of a library on the Evansdale campus was opened on the second floor of the engineering building in 1961. After the transfer of all engineering and agricultural library materials from the Main Library to this new facility, there was not enough space to store all of the library's collection. This lack of space became even more apparent with the growth of enrollment and graduate programs and the resulting student population boom.&nbsp; A new, separate library was planned to serve Evansdale campus.&nbsp;The initial plans included three floors with the option of adding an additional two floors when needed.
Floor space of 62,000 square feet would provide seating for approximately 550
students and hold around 300,000 volumes. The new library was to house the Agricultural/Engineering Library, Education, and Physical Education materials.&nbsp; Groundbreaking for the Evansdale Library occurred on July 7, 1978. There were several construction problems and delays before the library finally opened to the public on November 19, 1980. The final cost of the facility was $3,601,800. Books were transferred from the Agricultural/Engineering and Main libraries until January 15, 1981. Evansdale Library provided students with access to new services including online literature searching and bibliographic instruction. &nbsp;&nbsp; On December 2, 1991, Evansdale Library was designated a U.S. Patent and Trademark Depository Library. This entails that the library receives current copies of U.S. Plant Patents and provides access to USPTO patent and trademark databases. All the tools needed to carry out a preliminary patent or trademark search are available in the library.&nbsp;Evansdale Library is the only Patent and Trademark Resource Center (PTRC) in West Virginia.&nbsp; The Evansdale Library currently houses a painting by Amy Schissel. Schissel is a Canadian artist and&nbsp;an assistant professor who teaches painting&nbsp;at WVU's School of Art &amp; Design. The painting is acrylic on canvas and emphasizes Schissel's self-described style of&nbsp;“imaginative reinventions of our contemporary landscape."&nbsp; Since July 2017, WVU's CESTA (Community Engangement in Science Through Art)&nbsp;program members have displayed their completed interactive science-art installations in the Evansdale Library. The projects have included 2017's "Object D4h," a rotating sculpture&nbsp;exploring molecular symmetry and 2018's "Cytochrome C," a sculpture inspired by the protein's role in the biological electron transport chain across all kingdoms of life.

Evansdale Library is located on the Evansdale campus of West Virginia University. It is currently located next to the Agricultural Sciences building. The library was built with the purpose of supporting the academic research and programs specific to Evansdale campus. It contains resources centered on agricultural disciplines, computer science, education, engineering, landscape architecture, art, forestry, music, theater, physical education, and mineral resources. 

Evansdale Library

Since the 1930s, West Virginia University
 has collected historical artifacts and archival materials from the 
mining and petroleum industries. The collecting began within the 
University’s School of Mines, which was later named the College of 
Mineral and Energy Resources (COMER). A museum, known as the COMER
 Museum, was formally organized in the mid-1980s, and the construction 
of a dedicated museum space was approved. At that time, the COMER
 Museum established its mission of “preserving and promoting the social,
 cultural, and technological history of the coal, oil, and natural gas 
industries of West Virginia through the collection, preservation, 
research, and exhibition of historical objects and archival materials.”

	The West Virginia Coal Mining Institute endowed the COMER
 Museum with a substantial pledge in 2005. As part of the endowment 
agreement, the Institute was given the opportunity to rename the Museum.
 The Institute requested that the Museum be renamed The Royce J. and 
Caroline B. Watts Museum in honor of “two individuals who have 
tirelessly supported its mission through both financial support and 
other resources.”

	Royce J. Watts, a WVU
 faculty member for over fifty years, and his wife, Caroline B. Watts, 
are long time supporters of the Museum and the state of West Virginia’s 
mining heritage. Royce and Caroline Watts spearheaded the establishment 
of the COMER Museum and made significant 
contributions towards the its growth and development. The Royce J. and 
Caroline B. Watts Museum reflects, supports, and preserves Royce and 
Caroline Watts’ dedication to West Virginia’s mining industries and 
their devotion to West Virginia University.

The Royce J. and Caroline B. Watts Museum is dedicated to preserving and promoting the social, cultural, and technological history of West Virginia’s coal and petroleum industries through the collection, preservation, research, and exhibition of historical objects and archival materials. 

The Royce J. and Caroline B. Watts Museum

Located on the Evansdale campus, the Art Museum of&nbsp;West Virginia University&nbsp;features two distinct and integrated facilities: <h4>The Art Museum</h4>In August 2015, the Art Museum of West Virginia University&nbsp;opened its doors after ten years of planning.&nbsp;Dean of the College of Creative Arts said at the dedication that the museum "put the visual arts community at WVU on equal footing with our peer institutions" and provides educational opportunities for students and children of Morgantown. President of WVU, Gordon Gee, emphasized that "preserving and&nbsp;displaying our cultural heritage is an important part of our land-grant heritage." The museum&nbsp;houses more than 3,000 works of Appalachian, American, and international art in its diverse collection. The University began collecting art without a formal exhibition space more than ten years prior to the Art Museum's opening. It holds the largest public collection of art by Modernist Blanche Lazzell&nbsp;(1878-1956), a native of Maidsville and graduate of WVU&nbsp;whom Gordon Gee called "one of West Virginia's true treasures." The Art Museum also houses collections of work by&nbsp;Albert Bierstadt, William Merritt Chase, Thomas Cole, Jean Metzinger, William Schumacher, Rockwell Kent, William Conger, and Tim McFarlane, along&nbsp;with collections of Asian and African art and&nbsp;pieces by world-renowned names&nbsp;such as&nbsp;Pablo Picasso, Francisco Goya, and&nbsp;Andy Warhol. Two galleries, with&nbsp;5,400 square-feet of exhibition space, display a sampling of this collection.&nbsp;The building was built to environmental standards for temperature, humidity, and light levels to safely&nbsp;display and store works of art. The Plevin Lobby&nbsp;of the Art Museum features a unique graffiti mural by Raoul and Davide Pierre, known as How and Nosm in the art world.&nbsp;Researchers are welcome to examine art up close in a study room, while educators and students have a classroom space available. <h4>Museum Education Center</h4>In 2010, the University completed renovation of an existing two-story building, the former Erickson Alumni Center designed by noted architect Michael Graves, to accommodate museum offices, halls for educational programs and receptions, and a gift shop. Additionally,&nbsp;an outdoor sculpture garden offers museum visitors a place to relax and contemplate works of art in a lovely setting.

Opened in 2015, the Art Museum of West Virginia University provides a welcoming and stimulating educational environment for diverse audiences to experience the transformative power of visual art. By exploring the varied artistic traditions of different cultures, past and present, visitors gain a better understanding of themselves, their communities, and their world.

Art Museum of West Virginia University

The Nath Sculpture Garden was fully funded and directed by Dr. Joginder Nath. While his love of the arts made the sculpture garden a reality, it was Nath’s scientific achievements that brought him to Morgantown. Born and raised in India, Nath received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Panjab University and his doctorate in genetics from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Nath was one of three professors hired by WVU in the 1960s to start a genetics and developmental biology program. He spent more than 40 years at WVU, winning national awards for his research and teaching and investing in his student and the university community. His philanthropy supported lecture series, the Student Food Pantry, and restoration of the Metropolitan Theatre, efforts that led to his induction in the highly regarded Order of Vandalia. Nath’s wife, Charlotte, is a retired family medicine specialist in the WVU School of Medicine. Former WVU landscape architecture professor Ashley Kyber described the Naths as “lights of the community.”Shortly before his retirement in 2009, Nath supported the development of the Art Museum of WVU by donating funds to create a sculpture garden and courtyard in the front lawn. The Naths frequently attended exhibits and performances at the Creative Arts Center and enjoyed visiting museums while traveling. The new art museum, located in the former Erickson Alumni Center building designed by architect Michael Graves, would be a premier center for the arts in West Virginia. Designing a sculpture garden would expand the museum’s ability to share works of art with the public and make use of the greenspace between the museum and the well-traversed Patteson Drive.The Nath Sculpture Garden opened in 2016, providing the WVU community with a unique outdoor space to enjoy. WVU students and professors in design, landscape architecture, and related programs were instrumental in developing the sculpture garden. In an interview with WVU Today, Nath described his passion for this project, “The sculpture garden emphasizes nature and art in a space people will find appealing and attractive—a place they will want to spend time. It extends the museum setting to the outdoors for art to be appreciated and enjoyed by many and for students and faculty to learn and grow.”The design of the Nath Sculpture Garden was inspired by Nath’s role in the community and his personality. The garden features a path, an open field, and various symbolic elements, such as the pyramidal lanterns. The lanterns symbolize Nath’s relationship with his wife. A lover of visual stories of pace, Nath hand selected each rock incorporated into the project, one of them he called “The Fishtail,” which is located by the lantern dedicated to his life.The sculpture garden acts as an extension to the geometric forms of the Art Museum, designed by modernist architect Michael Graves. The Art Museum’s angular shapes contrast the softness of the sculpture garden. At the same time, the different designs of the sculpture garden and Art Museum’s architecture complement one another. The works of art in the garden were selected from around the world. According to Art Museum Director, Joyce Ice, “We want our students, faculty, staff and visitors to experience art from the U.S. and around the globe while enjoying the beauty and serenity of this outdoor space.”Works include Odell Prather's Steel Sonata, Wayne Trapp’s The Spirit of Growth 2015, He Zhenhai’s Bridge, Laxon Karisi’s Human Suffering, Shy Woman, and Spirit Bird, Bernard Matemara’s Protecting her Eggs, and Brighton Sango’s Shy.Joginder Nath passed away in December 2016, his sculpture garden a timeless legacy of his dedication to the WVU community.

The Nath Sculpture Garden is a 2.5 acre garden in front the Art Museum of WVU. It features a labyrinth-like path, works of art, and a variety of plants. The sculpture garden was developed and funded by the late Dr. Joginder Nath, professor emeritus and former chair of the genetics and developmental biology program at WVU. All rocks and plants incorporated in this garden were hand selected by Nath and the WVU School of Design and Community Development, and a number of programs at WVU contributed their time and talents to realizing this project. The garden features sculptures by artists from the United States, China, and Zimbabwe. The Nath Sculpture Garden opened in 2016, shortly after the opening of the Art Museum of WVU, and is open year-round.

Nath Sculpture Garden at Art Museum of WVU

Located in the lobby is the sculpture "Interior Terrain" created by Alison Helm, the Director of the WVU School of Art and Design. Professor Helm describes the sculpture as a "composition of organic and geometric opposites existing parallel to each other." The piece exhibits both positive and negative shapes, creating the interior spaces of the 3 main bodies of the sculpture described by Helm as creating "one voice of unity." She further describes the piece as a representation of the human spirit, gradually disappearing at the end of our lives. Hidden on both sides of the expansive lobby to the Creative Arts Center, are two pairs of massive porcelain vases and cylinders, depicting the long history of the various Chinese dynasties that have existed, all in a striking off white and blue color that is unique to Chinese porcelain.&nbsp;The vases were acquired in 2012 during a
regional symposium held at the Museum Education Center, which all dates back to
a twenty-three year exchange program with the Chinese town that invented
porcelain over 1000 years ago, Jingdezhen. A former student who started an
import export business donated one pair, and the other pair was purchased. As a
pair, these pairs tell a folk history of the Spring and Autumn period in China,
a time where mystical heroes rise again, as well as depicting the heroes of
Daoism. In China, these pairs are used in entryways in banks and various
buildings in order to create a welcoming presence. The striking cobalt blue was
overlaid onto the porcelain using a rice paper transfer, where the drawings are
placed on rice paper, soaked in water and then placed on the porcelain to dry.
These majestic pieces will hopefully welcome visitors to the Creative Arts
Center for years to come. The CAC also houses the Paula and Laura Mesaros Galleries which host rotating contemporary art exhibitions.

West Virginia University's College of Creative Arts was formed in 1969 and the Creative Arts Center, or CAC, was dedicated to the college. The CAC was created to serve as a meeting point for 3 academic and artistic disciplines: music, art, and drama. This was thought to be a big step in emphasizing the state's culture and integrating it into academic spaces. The building itself was completed in three phases, with each one corresponding to a different artistic interest. The first phase, which was devoted to music, was completed as early as 1967-1968. This section cost $7 million out of the total $10 million needed for the complete CAC. The building currently houses a 1,420-seat concert theater, opera and studio theaters, and two art galleries.

College of Creative Arts/Creative Arts Center

Around the perimeter of the WVU Creatives Arts Center is an outdoor sculpture site, comprised of permanent and temporary sculptures. The various permanent sculptures all have similar themes of synthesis to the natural environment and industrial elements. 	Installed in 2008, a 10 foot tall, 8 foot wide rectangular steel framed structure sturdily sits in front of Beechurst Avenue and the WVU Creative Arts Center. Designed by Ohioan artist Kevin Lyles, the “Last Dance” is filled with river stones to illustrate purpose and contrast of organic elements and manufactured components. This was successfully funded by the Myers Foundations and coordinated by Alison Helm, Director of the WVU School of Art and Design. Lyles was a visiting sculpture at WVU, and has had his works exhibited at Snowshoe Institute.	Standing in front of the Creative Arts Center is WVU’s first permanent structure, The Discovery IV. Weighing 1500 pounds at 19 feet tall, “The Discovery IV” was created by Johnathan Cox, a professor at Marshall University. The design process started with the Imperial Darby marble base to represent a beginning and a birth of the sculpture. From there, the stainless steel leaf component was made, with utilization of line and form, symbolic of the artistic relationship between West Virginia University and Marshall University.	“The Bubble Pack Bench Series” can be found on the left side facing the Creative Arts Center, featuring two bronze benches created by WVU Professor Dylan Collins. Both chairs are of different styles, but with the same methodology: cast iron mold and bubble wrap. His design process resulted in the peculiar bubble wrap pattern, found all over the furnishing. Collins sculpted this series to learn and have a chance to experiment with inorganic elements.	Another permanent piece is found on the right side of the Creative Arts Center, titled “Earth Giant.” “Earth Giant” was sculpted by Benjamin Gazsi, a former sculpture student at West Virginia University. It held 6th place at a prestigious international competition, ArtPrize, which featured more than 1,800 artists. “Earth Giant” comprises of concrete, resembles a human head emerging from the ground, and is split into layers. When observing the piece, its separated components requires viewers to walk around it to see the human head. Gazsi’s work has also been exhibited at Cooper’s Rock.

Around the perimeter of the WVU Creatives Arts Center is an outdoor sculpture site, comprised of permanent and temporary sculptures. The various permanent sculptures all have similar themes of synthesis to the natural environment and industrial elements. It features permanent structures: “Last Dance,” “The Discovery IV,” “The Bubble Pack Bench Series,” and “Earth Giant.”

Outdoor Sculptures at WVU Creative Arts Center

Because freshmen were not allowed to play varsity basketball, Hundley did not start his college career until his sophomore year. In the 27 out of 30 games he started, he averaged 23.7 points per game and 8.1 rebounds. During his junior year, he averaged 26.6 points per game and 13.1 rebounds, with a season-high 42 points and 9 rebounds in a single game. He averaged 23.1 points and 10.5 rebounds per game his senior year, breaking a school record by scoring 54 points and 18 rebounds in a single game. In just three years, Hundley became the fourth player in NCAA history to score more than 2,000 points in his career. He brought the Mountaineers to prominence with his talent and shooting antics, which included hook shots for free throws and hanging on the rim to await a lob pass. He led the Mountaineers to three consecutive NCAA appearances during the "Golden Age" of WVU basketball. In 1957, Hundley became the only WVU player in history to be the first pick in the NBA draft. He played for the Lakers in Minneapolis and Los Angeles from 1957 to 1963, averaging 8.4 points per game and over 1,400 assists. In 1960, Hundley was joined by former teammate Jerry West, who was drafted from WVU by the Lakers.After retiring from the NBA due to bad knees, Hundley pursued a broadcasting career, working for the Los Angeles Lakers, the Phoenix Suns, CBS, and most notably, the New Orleans and Utah Jazz. He was known for his quick wit and sayings such as "from the parking lot" for a long distance shot. In 2003, he was inducted into the Naismith Hall of Fame as a broadcaster. In 2000, Hundley graduated from WVU with a bachelor's degree in physical education, due to the fact that he left the university to join the NBA before he earned his degree. In 2009, Hundley retired from his career as the voice of the Utah Jazz, and in 2010 he became the second WVU player to have his number retired (the first being Jerry West). Hundley passed away at age 80 on March 27, 2015 from Alzheimer's disease. On February 20, 2016 his statue was unveiled outside the Blue Gate of the coliseum, just opposite of Jerry West’s statue. A documentary titled Hot Rod was recently made, chronicling Hundley's life and troubled upbringing. Artist Jamie Lester created the bronze statue.

Rodney Clark “Hot Rod” Hundley was born on October 26, 1934 in Charleston, West Virginia. Hundley played for WVU from 1954 to 1957. His signature style of dribbling and on-court antics led to the nickname of “Hot Rod.” Following his college career, Hundley was drafted in the first round to the Cincinnati Royals and was then traded to the Minneapolis Lakers, where he played from 1957 to 1963. After his retirement, Hundley continued to employ his passion for basketball by becoming a sports broadcaster for the NBA. In 2010, WVU retired his number 33, making him and Jerry West the only WVU players to be awarded the honor. Following his death in 2015, a bronze statue of him was placed outside of the WVU Coliseum. 

Hot Rod Hundley Statue

<blockquote>“I shall run in the West Virginia Presidential Primary. Frankly, I did not originally intend to do so.” John F. Kennedy, Feburary 4, 1960</blockquote>John F. Kennedy, then a senator from Massachusetts, had a number of challenges facing him on his path to President of the United States. He was young and a Catholic, both of which caused doubts among some voters. On January 2, 1960, Kennedy announced his candidacy for the Democratic nomination, which would take place at the Democratic National Convention that summer. Winning West Virginia in the Democratic primary would be essential to securing the nomination.By the mid-twentieth century, West Virginia struggled with poverty and a declining economy. Senator Hubert Humphrey of Minnesota, after narrowly losing the Wisconsin primary, challenged Senator Kennedy in West Virginia. On February 4, 1960, in Star City, West Virginia, Senator Kennedy announced his intention to run in the West Virginia primary on May 10. Kennedy initially led Humphrey in West Virginia polls, but it became clear that Kennedy’s Catholic faith was a major deterrent for the mostly Protestant state of West Virginia.Kennedy was only the second presidential nominee to be Catholic (the first was Governor Al Smith of New York in the 1920s), and he would become the first Catholic President upon his election. Anti-Catholic attitudes have been pervasive in American history, often spiking with waves of immigration. In the 1960 election, some non-Catholic voters feared that Kennedy would prioritize loyalty to the Pope over the Constitution. Kennedy, however, affirmed the separation of church and state and argued that his personal beliefs would not interfere with his policies or leadership. Throughout the spring of 1960, Kennedy campaigned throughout West Virginia, seeking to understand the struggles of Appalachia and earn the trust of voters.Kennedy won the West Virginia primary on May 10, ushering him toward the Democratic nomination on July 13, 1960, in Los Angeles. He faced Republican candidate Richard Nixon in a tight race. In November, Kennedy won the presidency by a margin of only 118,000 votes of 69 million; he won West Virginia with 52.7% of the vote. While President, Kennedy focused on topics such as the escalating Cold War, the Civil Rights Movement, and the Space Race. On November 22, 1963, Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas, Texas. In a decade of social and political turmoil, Kennedy’s death sent shockwaves around the world.Efforts to memorialize Kennedy began almost immediately, with his gravesite at Arlington National Cemetery attracting mourners in the thousands and the Dallas memorial opening in 1970. In Morgantown, Michael A Oliverio Sr., a statesman and the Monongalia County Clerk, &nbsp;spearheaded the effort to establish a Kennedy memorial. In the 1980s, Oliverio got a nudge from Speaker of the House Tip O’Neill to honor Kennedy’s place in West Virginia history. In the 1990s and 2000s, Oliverio had opportunities to present the idea to Kerry Kennedy Cuomo (Robert Kennedy’s daughter) and Senator Ted Kennedy (John F. Kennedy’s brother), who both gave their blessings.Oliverio, a family man whose work focused on rehabilitation and disability advocacy, envisioned a memorial that drew attention to both Kennedy and the concept of fatherhood. Chris Kroll, a senior product designer for Matthews International Corp., took Oliverio’s concepts and created the memorial. The memorial features a sign describing the significance of Star City in Kennedy’s path to the presidency. The memorial features a bas-relief of Kennedy and a statue of his son, John John, depicted saluting his father as he did at the funeral in 1963. Lastly, the names of donors’ fathers are commemorated on plaques on either side of Kennedy.“A Father’s Love” was dedicated on June 17, 2007 (Father’s Day). It is located along the Star City waterfront where there is a playground for children and a “little free library,” a public book exchange program.

The John F. Kennedy Memorial recognizes the place where the young Senator announced his intention to enter the West Virginia primary as a Democratic Presidential candidate in 1960. Winning the West Virginia primary helped Kennedy secure the Democratic nomination and become elected President later that year. Local statesman Michael A. Oliverio Sr. wanted to honor Kennedy as well as the love and dedication of fathers everywhere. “A Father’s Love,” featuring a bas-relief of Kennedy and a statue of John-John, was dedicated in Star City on June 17th, 2007. The memorial is located in the John F. Kennedy Memorial Park along the waterfront and Rail Trail.

"A Father's Love" at John F. Kennedy Memorial Park

Located at the Star City riverfront, this memorial is a tribute to Star City residents who served in the military. The memorial consists of two pieces: a bronze sculpture and a stone monument.&nbsp; The stone monument was dedicated on Memorial Day in 2011. The monument includes a large star with the letters "WV" in the middle, flanked by the emblems of the Army, Air Force, Coast Guard, Marine Corps, Navy, and Department of Defense. The monument text reads: "In honor of all Star City Veterans / Past&nbsp; / Present / Future."&nbsp; The bronze sculpture was dedicated on May 25, 2015. It depicts the "battlefield cross," a rifle&nbsp;with a helmet balanced on top&nbsp;planted in the ground behind a pair of boots. This image may have first appeared in the Civil War as the dead were gathered for burial. It gained more popular use in World War I as a makeshift way of identifying the temporary graves of fallen soldiers. Throughout other conflicts in the twentieth century, the "cross"&nbsp;became a powerful symbol of those who gave their lives defending the United States, while also providing a sense of closure for the living. Originally, the "cross" consisted of just the rifle and helmet. Later depictions include dog tags, a pair of boots, and other personal memorabilia. The Star City battlefield cross includes a small plaque with the words: "'All Gave Some - Some Gave All.' Dedicated to the memory of all veterans who proudly served and protected their country." The plaque also depicts the emblems of the five branches of the military. Among the 200 people attending the dedication ceremony was West Virginia Secretary of State, Natalie Tennant, who said the memorial is meant "to remember those who have fallen, who gave their lives, whose families sacrificed as well."

This bronze sculpture and stone monument honor Star City residents who served in the military. The memorial is located at the JFK Memorial Park in Star City. 

"All Gave Some, Some Gave All" Memorial

Morgantown artist Debora Palmer created this mosaic mural with the help of BOPARC Arts in the Park campers in 2015. Supporters of the project included The River Town Group, Town of Star City Council, BOPARC Staff, Beautification Committee, the Star City residents, Ralph Cook Sr., Davis-Lynch Glass, Ralph Cook Jr, and Bill Hamilton of Gentile Glass. The design depicts the highlights of Star City's Riverfront History, including: Glass Factories: Gentile Glass was owned and operated by John and Gertrude Gentile from 1947-2006. Davis-Lynch Glass began its operations in 1943 and remains in business, specializing in lamp shades and globes. Other early glass companies in the area included The Star Glass Company and the Polish Factory. River Barge: The river barges continue to travel the Monongahela River, transporting coal. Star City's Blue Bridge: There was a bridge built in 1950 and demolished in 2002, that was replaced by Edith Barill Bridge. Ferry Crossing: Before the Blue Bridge, there was a ferry used to cross the Monongahela River from Star City to Jimtown that was a major source of transportation for coal miners.

Artist Debora Palmer created this mosaic with BOPARC Arts in the Parks campers in 2015 on the Star City waterfront, depicting the highlights of the area's history.

Evansdale and Star City Public Art Tour

Jerry West Statue at West Virginia University Coliseum

Introduction

Images

Backstory and Context

Sources

Additional Information