Daily Pioneer News

PLATTEVILLE- The University of Wisconsin-Platteville celebrated its Homecoming the week of Oct. 5. The festivities not only celebrated UWP's traditions of excellence, but also the strong link between the campus and the community. Over the last two semesters, UWP art students have been designing and constructing steel frames for concrete benches that are being installed on campus, two of which were installed during Homecoming week.

"The concrete might not be completely cured by Homecoming week," said Bill Grover, guest artist and professional consultant from Mineral Point, "but these two benches should be completed barring bad weather. They are the product of a community with some really great ideas."

Grover has undertaken numerous large sculpting projects in the past, many of which were completed in concrete. Some of his work includes life-sized bison, an interactive sundial that tells time by casting the viewer's shadow and a tree bearing leaves that were created by children from the community where the tree is now displayed. "I work with the communities to produce these pieces. Everything I do can be done by regular people with hand tools," said Grover. "I tell them what concrete can and can't do, and they provide the labor and design so they end up with the iconography they desire."

Grover has pieces located around the state, including Whitewater, Madison, New Berlin, Milton and Sun Prairie.

"The whole project has been great," said Bruce Howdle of UWP's Art Department. "Learning to do something is one thing, but to learn and take that knowledge somewhere else to teach and participate in other communities is what we want and is what the Pioneer Academic Center for Community Engagement grants are really about. This is also the most economic, green, grassroots and student-produced way of getting art on campus."

The project was funded by a PACCE grant. The program provides funding for projects that help students achieve learning objectives through real-world community projects.

"Grants like this give students great opportunities," said Kevin Bernhardt, director of PACCE at UWP. "These grants are designed to provide real-life experience. This project in particular has touched a lot of students and given them all a tremendous opportunity to work with the campus, community and faculty, and take something valuable away from it. They've also given something that countless people in the future will be able to use and enjoy."

The three benches, located near the Karrmann Library, Pioneer Student Center and Glenview Commons, were each made with one cubic yard of concrete and weigh roughly 1,600 pounds. Designed by three groups of UWP students over two semesters, the benches will also be decorated with ceramic inlays, which were also created by UWP students.

Carole Spelic' of the UWP Office of Continuing Education spearheaded the bench project and helped write the grant. "This project not only has the students who designed and built the benches involved," said Spelic', "but it is also a learning opportunity for the entire campus and can give students the language to discuss art and how it functions within its environment. These PACCE grants go beyond the specific projects, because they give students new ways to learn and grow."

For more information about PACCE, contact Bernhardt at (608) 342-1365 or bernhark@uwplatt.edu. For more information about the UWP Art Department or the benches, contact Howdle at (608) 342-1228 or howdleb@uwplatt.edu.

Contact: Carole Spelic', UWP Office of Continuing Education, (608) 342-1314, spelicc@uwplatt.edu Written by: Ian Clark, UWP Office of Public Relations, (608) 342-1194, clarki@uwplatt.edu