Our campus is filled with public art, including 19 life-size bronze sculptures, most of which have been generously donated by J. Gilbert and Louella H. Reese, through their Thomas J. Evans Foundation. Take a walking tour of campus to see them all, or enjoy the images below.

Great Contributors Series

by Gary Lee Price

Lent to the campus by J. Gilbert and Louella H. Reese, through their Thomas J. Evans Foundation, the series honors the ideals represented by various world figures: Mark Twain, William Shakespeare, George Washington, Claude Monet, Benjamin Franklin, Albert Einstein, Harriet Tubman, Amelia Earhart, Joan of Arc, Mother Teresa, The Wright Brothers and Theodore Roosevelt. Price’s work is unique in depicting these historical giants not standing on pedestals but seated on bronze benches that offer an open seat for students to join them.

A Luta Continua

by Dana King

Translating to “The Struggle Continues,” this bronze sculpture is the world’s first statue honoring Civil Rights activist Ella Baker. Although often overlooked because of her behind-the-scenes leadership style, Baker was a central figure. She led, founded or influenced four of the five major organizations fighting for civil rights at the height of the movement. Sculptor Dana King describes her specialty as sculpting “Black bodies in bronze.” This piece is her ninth public work, spanning five states. 

About Ella Baker

Ella Baker shaped the Civil Rights Movement with her radical humanist vision. She placed the power for change in the hands of individuals, not institutions, organizations or charismatic leaders. She grounded her decades of organizing in a a vision of democracy in which each person, their freedom and dignity respected, participated directly in every decision affecting their lives. Consequently, although she led, founded or contributed to many of the most important organizations fighting for human and civil rights during the height of the movement, Baker is best known as the godmother of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committe (SNCC). After Black students inspired massive protests against segregation by taking forbidden seats at lunch counters in 1960, she invited young activists from across the country to a conference. Her mentorship led them to found SNCC, a landmark moment signaling that the youth would help lead the next phase of the Civil Rights movement. Born in Virginia and raised in North Carolina, Baker graduated from Shaw University, began organizing after moving to New York City during the Great Depression, and in the following decades became a powerful if often overlooked leader in the greatest mass movement in American history.

New Heights of Knowledge: Dreams

by Gary Lee Price

This statue depicts a young African American woman seated on a pile of books looking eagerly toward the future. Price says of the collection, “The children represent diligent study. The stacks of books represent the higher levels of learning and understanding that come to us through knowledge.”

Circle of Friends

by Gary Lee Price

The circle represents the world coming together, ‘paws’ clasped in friendship and unity. Price includes one animal from each of the seven continents, representing the entire world and our need for interaction and cooperation. An open space in the circle invites passers-by to join in.

Charlie Black

by Carrie Gantt Quade

The sculpture of a pig (seated) was inspired by Quade’s summer visits to her grandparents’ farm. “I learned respect from the pigs,” she said.

Charlotte

by Carrie Gantt Quade

A pig (standing) was also inspired by Quade’s summer visits to her grandparents’ farm.

A Day Off

by Seward Johnson

One of Johnson’s hyper-realistic sculptures in his “Celebrating the Familiar” series, this work depicts a father and son fishing together.

Summer Thinking

by Seward Johnson

Another hyper-realistic artwork in Johnson’s “Celebrating the Familiar” series depicts a girl dreamily lying in the grass and writing in a notebook.

The Winner

by Seward Johnson

A chess player contemplates his next move