Central Michigan University

Friday, April 13, 2007

SCULPTURE TO FURTHER INTEGRATE NATIVE AMERICAN CULTURE INTO CMU'S CAMPUS

An artistic piece of Native American culture will become a permanent fixture on Central Michigan University's campus later this month.

"Gete-Achitwa-Asinakwe," a sculpture created by Grand Rapids-based artist Jason Quigno, will be dedicated during a ceremony at 11 a.m. April 25 in front of the University Art Gallery. Admission is free and open to the public.

CMU President Michael Rao will open the ceremony, which will feature a Native American drumming ritual. Quigno will speak about his work and its creation, and, along with Rao, former CMU President Art Ellis and Saginaw Chippewa Tribal Nation Chief Fred Cantu, will unveil the sculpture to the public.

The sculpture, whose title translates from Ojibwe to "Ancient Honorable Stone Woman" in English, was sculpted from basalt, a dark, volcanic stone from the Columbia River basin. It is 8 feet 6 inches tall and weighs approximately 2 tons. The piece was commissioned by CMU in an effort to further integrate Native American cultural works into the campus.

Quigno, a member of the Saginaw Chippewa Tribal Nation, is originally from Mount Pleasant. He has been sculpting for more than 17 years, and his work, which focuses on themes from his Anishinabe background, has been featured in exhibitions across the country.

For more information regarding the dedication ceremony, call the University Art Gallery at 989-774-3800.

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FAST FACTS: CMU'S NEW OUTDOOR SCULPTURE

Sculpture title (Ojibwe): "Gete-Achitwa-Asinakwe"

Sculpture title (English): "Ancient Honorable Stone Woman"

Height: 8 feet 6 inches

Weight: Approximately 2 tons

Artist: Jason Quigno of Grand Rapids; he is originally from Mount Pleasant and is a member of the Saginaw Chippewa Tribal Nation; he was born in 1975.

Material: Basalt, a dark, volcanic stone from the Columbia River basin

Commissioned by: CMU's Art on Campus Committee in spring 2006

Duration of project: Quigno presented drawings of the sculpture to the Art on Campus Committee in May 2006; work on the sculpture began in May 2006 and was completed in January 2007.

Total project cost: Approximately $50,000

Funding sources: The sculpture was made possible by a grant from the Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs, supplemented by funding from the CMU president's office and the university's Art on Campus Committee.