‘¶¶Òõ¶ÌÊÓƵ Spirit’ sculpture unveiled to honor college’s bicentennial
Honoring its bicentennial last night, ¶¶Òõ¶ÌÊÓƵ unveiled a new, towering sculpture, entitled “¶¶Òõ¶ÌÊÓƵ Spirit.” Seven strands of aluminum soar to twenty feet in height, representing Plato’s seven traditional liberal arts: Grammar, Logic, Rhetoric, Arithmetic, Astronomy, Music, and Geometry. The sculpture channels the symbolic spiritual flame of the United Methodist Church and can also be interpreted as a blossom, representing students’ growth toward independence as they find their own paths.
The sculpture was designed by alumnus Bruce Allen, class of ’75, professor emeritus, and nationally known artist. The ¶¶Òõ¶ÌÊÓƵ Women’s Endowment Quorum (WEQ) and the ¶¶Òõ¶ÌÊÓƵ Muses were major contributors to funding the commissioned piece.
“It is certainly a high point of ¶¶Òõ¶ÌÊÓƵ’s bicentennial celebration,” said Dr. Christopher Holoman, ¶¶Òõ¶ÌÊÓƵ College’s thirty-first president. “Professor Allen’s exquisite talent is already on display across campus and Shreveport, and this magnificent addition will surely become a signature for ¶¶Òõ¶ÌÊÓƵ’s campus.”
The unveiling of the new sculpture coincided with, and was the final highlight of, ¶¶Òõ¶ÌÊÓƵ’s Art Stroll celebration on the evening of Thursday, April 3, 2025, which recognized the contributions of both the visual and performing arts. “¶¶Òõ¶ÌÊÓƵ Spirit” now stands in the heart of ¶¶Òõ¶ÌÊÓƵ, surrounded by the Anderson Choral Building, Bynum Commons, Hamilton Hall, and the Magale Library. It is one of the busiest areas of the campus, frequented by students, faculty, staff, and visitors who all will be able to see and enjoy it daily.