''Zephyr'' is a public sculpture created by artist Steve Wooldridge in 1998. It is located southeast of the

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis Indiana ( ) is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Michigan to the northwest, Michigan to the north and northeast, Ohio to the east, the Ohio River and Kentucky to the south and southeast, and the Wabash Riv ...

(IUPUI) University Library and north of New York Street on IUPUI's campus. The overall dimensions of this

stainless steel Stainless steel, also known as inox, corrosion-resistant steel (CRES), or rustless steel, is an iron-based alloy that contains chromium, making it resistant to rust and corrosion. Stainless steel's resistance to corrosion comes from its chromi ...

sculpture are tall, long, and wide.

Description

''Zephyr'' is composed of several different three-dimensional geometric shapes, all made of

. Its base is a rectangle that measures tall and wide. Next are two cylinders lying on their sides with a north–south orientation. They each have a diameter of and a length of . On top of the cylinders is a right triangle that measures tall and on the shortest side. It lies at an angle so that the right angle rests between the two cylinders. A third cylinder rests on top of the triangle and it measures in diameter and long. On top of this cylinder and the triangle is a large hoop with a diameter of approximately . There is a pole going through the hoop from the proper bottom right to the proper top left. It passes behind the hoop on the proper left and in front of the hoop on the proper right, where a semi-hollow cylinder with a diameter of and a length of rests. "Steve E. Wooldridge", "1998", and "Zephyr" are visible on the metal next to the proper right side of the base.

Information

Zephyr In European tradition, a zephyr is a light wind or a west wind, named after Zephyrus, the Greek god or personification of the west wind. Zephyr may also refer to: Arts and media Fictional characters * Zephyr (comics), in the Marvel Comics univers ...

" means "west wind" and is also the name of a pioneer streamlined

locomotive A locomotive is a rail transport, rail vehicle that provides the motive power for a train. Traditionally, locomotives pulled trains from the front. However, Push–pull train, push–pull operation has become common, and in the pursuit for ...

, dating to the 1930s. Each of the eight geometric shapes has a meaning. The rectangular base represents the core of education. The two side-by-side cylinders represent the wheels of progress while the triangle represents a mode of transportation designed for speed. The small cylinder that supports the hoop signifies fortitude and determination and the hoop itself stands for the circle of life. The long pole represents ambition and the hollow scroll stands for the scroll of knowledge. The artist dedicated the sculpture to today's youth.

Acquisition

The

Indiana University Indiana University (IU) is a state university system, system of Public university, public universities in the U.S. state of Indiana. The system has two core campuses, five regional campuses, and two regional centers under the administration o ...

Board of Trustees approved the decision to keep the ''Zephyr'' sculpture on the IUPUI campus permanently at their January 28, 2005 meeting. Prior to this it had been on loan to the university for two years.

Artist

Steve Wooldridge was born in

Sheridan, Indiana Sheridan is a town in Adams Township, Hamilton County, Indiana, United States. The population was 3,106 at the 2020 census. The center of population of Indiana is located just northwest of Sheridan. History Sheridan, once the second larges ...

. He attended the

Dayton Art Institute The Dayton Art Institute (DAI) is a museum of fine arts in Dayton, Ohio, Dayton, Ohio, United States. The Dayton Art Institute has been rated one of the top 10 best art museums in the United States for children. The museum also ranks in the top 3% ...

where he studied three-dimensional design and sculpture. He graduated from the

Herron School of Art Herron School of Art and Design, officially IU Herron School of Art and Design, is a public art school at Indiana University–Indianapolis (IUI) in Indianapolis, Indiana. It is a professional art school and has been accredited by the National As ...

in 1963 with a degree in Sculpture. His preferred styles are abstract, assemblage, and

minimalism In visual arts, music, and other media, minimalism is an art movement that began in the post-war era in western art. The movement is often interpreted as a reaction to abstract expressionism and modernism; it anticipated contemporary post-mi ...

. Wooldridge is known for his site specific sculpture for indoors and outdoors, and he is a member of the Artist Blacksmith's Association of North America. Fifty-two of his massive

blacksmith A blacksmith is a metalsmith who creates objects primarily from wrought iron or steel, but sometimes from #Other metals, other metals, by forging the metal, using tools to hammer, bend, and cut (cf. tinsmith). Blacksmiths produce objects such ...

ing pieces were featured in the exhibit "Forged Art! The Art of Blacksmithing" at the Wells County Creative Art Center in

Bluffton, Indiana Bluffton is a city in and the county seat of Wells County, Indiana, United States. It sits on the banks of the Wabash River in the northeastern part of the state. The population was 10,308 at the 2020 census, up from 9,897 at the 2010 census ...

in late 2007. Another of Wooldridge's sculptures, Spirit Keeper, is also located on the IUPUI campus.

Documentation

Museum Studies Museology (also called museum studies or museum science) is the study of museums. It explores the history of museums and their role in society, as well as the activities they engage in, including curating, preservation, public programming, and ed ...

course at IUPUI recently undertook the project of researching and reporting on the condition of 40 outdoor sculptures on the university campus. ''Zephyr'' was included in this movement. This documentation was influenced by the successful

Save Outdoor Sculpture! Save Outdoor Sculpture! (SOS!) was a community-based effort to identify, document, and conserve outdoor sculpture in the United States. The program was initiated in 1989 and ended in 1999. History Save Outdoor Sculpture! was initiated by Heri ...

1989 campaign organized by Heritage Preservation: The National Institute of Conservation partnered with the

Smithsonian Institution The Smithsonian Institution ( ), or simply the Smithsonian, is a group of museums, Education center, education and Research institute, research centers, created by the Federal government of the United States, U.S. government "for the increase a ...

, specifically the

Smithsonian American Art Museum The Smithsonian American Art Museum (SAAM; formerly the National Museum of American Art) is a museum in Washington, D.C., part of the Smithsonian Institution. Together with its branch museum, the Renwick Gallery, SAAM holds one of the world's lar ...

. Throughout the 1990s, over 7,000 volunteers nationwide have cataloged and assessed the condition of over 30,000 publicly accessible statues, monuments, and sculptures installed as outdoor public art across the United States.

References

External links

The Artist Blacksmith’s Association of North America, Inc.
{{IUPUIPublicArt Indiana University – Purdue University Indianapolis Public Art Collection Outdoor sculptures in Indianapolis Steel sculptures in Indiana 1998 sculptures Stainless steel sculptures in the United States 1998 establishments in Indiana