College Courtyard Gains Metallic Works of Art

By Karen Guin

Two bronze and stainless steel sculptures by North Carolina artist Gretchen Lothrop now grace the courtyard between Health and Public Affairs Building I and II, following their installation on April 19.

Collectively named the “Trees Project,” the sculptures feature curving extensions of brushed metal, which branch from a stainless steel base. Lothrop calls the east-side sculpture, “Tree of Life,” and the west-side sculpture, “Tree of Philosophy.”

“The latter name is a nod to the old expression ‘plant a philosopher’s tree,’ which has the connotation of inspiring a thirst for learning,” said Lothrop. “[That’s] definitely what we’re hoping for.”

UCF commissioned the sculptures to fulfill the Florida Art in State Buildings Program Statute. The statue requires that up to 0.5 percent of the total appropriation for the construction of a building ($100,000 maximum) be used to acquire works of art and that the artwork must be displayed for viewing in public areas.

Following the completion of Health and Public Affairs Building II in 2001, a five-member committee comprising the building’s architect, two art experts and representatives from the college and university selected Lothrop for the commission.

Theo Lotz, coordinator of the Florida Art in State Buildings Program at UCF, thinks the sculptures fit nicely into the courtyard environment. “They connect the landscape to the buildings by creating a sense of movement between each other and between the buildings,” he said.

Lothrop created the sculptures at her “Studio at Elf Way” in Pittsboro, N.C., where she works predominately with stainless steel to produce both commissioned pieces and sculpture for sale. She says much of her work reflects an ongoing connection between musically inspired forms and forms expressed in the life sciences.

Her work is displayed at locations throughout the South, including the Bank of America Plaza in Columbia, S.C.; Appalachian State University in Boone, N.C.; Caldwell Memorial Hospital in Lenoir, N.C.; and offices of Business Telecom, Inc., in Jacksonville, Fla. In addition, Eli Lilly in Indianapolis, Ind., recently acquired one of her pieces.

Lothrop’s sculpture has won numerous awards, including “Best of Show” in 2001 at the North Carolina Botanical Gardens’ Sculpture in the Garden Exhibit in Chapel Hill and “First Place” in 2000 at the Piccolo Spoleto Fine Art Exhibit in Charleston, S.C.

For further information about Lothrop's work, visit http://studioatelfway.com.