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Tours

1. Public Art Tour

   Visit the sculptures and monuments on the Williams campus.

   Stops

   1. Eyes (nine elements)

      Artist: Louise Bourgeois (American, 1911-2010)

      Created: 2001

      Materials: granite, bronze, and electric light

       

      Williams College Museum of Art. Commissioned on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the museum with funds from the Museum Fellows, friends, and museum endowments. Wachenheim Family Courtyard given by Edgar Wachenheim III, Class of 1959, and Chris Wachenheim, Class of 1994

       

      Eyes (nine elements) is made from granite and bronze, with surfaces that transform with changes in light. The artist worked closely with landscape architects and planners to design a series of sculptures for the front lawn of Lawrence Hall. Some of the sculptures double as benches.

       

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   2. Calligraph LC

      Artist: Herbert Ferber (American, 1906-1991)

      Created: 1967-1968

      Materials: copper

       

      Williams College Museum of Art. Gift of Edith Ferber.

       

      Calligraph LC is a copper, expressionist sculpture that challenges the notion of sculptures as pedestal bound. It is located between the staircases at the back of Lawrence Hall.

       

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   3. 715 molecules

      Artist: Jenny Holzer (American, b. 1950)

      Created: 2011

      Materials: sandblasted norite table and benches

       

      Williams College Museum of Art. Gift of the friends of J. Hodge Markgraf '52, Ebenezer Fitch Professor of Chemistry (1930-2007).

       

      715 molecules is a large-scale stone table with benches that is covered on every surface with molecular diagrams. The artist collaborated with students, professors, and alumni in the sciences and the arts, as well as staff from many Williams departments and at least three former Williams presidents, to see this permanent public art installation come to fruition.

       

      © 2011 Jenny Holzer, member Artists Rights Society (ARS), NY

       

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   4. Large Bowl

      Artist: Ursula Von Rydingsvard (American, b. 1942)

      Created: 1997

      Materials: cast bronze

       

      Williams College Museum of Art. Purchased by the President and Trustees of Williams College with funds provided by Alicia V. and Peter B. Pond, Class of 1967.

       

      Large Bowl is an eight thousand pound bronze casting of a sculpture in Germany. The artist’s work transforms everyday objects into massive monuments. It was commissioned to coincide with the opening of the science center. 

       

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   5. Artesian Well Cover

      Artist: Anonymous

      Origin: Venetian, 13th century

      Materials: marble

       

      Williams College Museum of Art. Gift of the Estate of Elizabeth I.R. Viall.

       

      Situated outside of the Oakley Center for the Humanities, this artesian well is attributed to a 13^th century Venetian carver. It is made of marble and adorned with botanical motifs and decorative carvings.

       

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   6. Wave Machine

      Artist: Fielding Brown (American, b. 1924)

      Created: 1975

      Materials: steel, aluminum, and hardwood with electrical drive

       

      Drive by Hugh Kirkpatrick. Termination by Bryce Babcock.

       

      Wave Machine, located in the central stairwell of Bronfman Science Center, is a large-scale torsion machine that is frequently misidentified as a strand of DNA. It was designed by Fielding Brown, professor of Physics emeritus, to allow physics students to perform experiments.

       

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   7. Double L Excentric Gyratory II

      Artist: George Warren Rickey (American, 1907-2002)

      Created: 1981

      Materials: stainless steel

       

      Williams College Museum of Art. Museum purchase, Inaugural gift of the Class of 1961 Public Art Fund on the occasion of their 50th Reunion, dedicated in the belief that public art enhances the beauty of the Williams campus, accentuates learning, and stimulates creativity.

       

      Double L Excentric Gyratory II is a 29-foot-high stainless steel sculpture located next to the ’62 Center for Theatre and Dance. The piece was a part of the artist’s experimentation with conical sections.

       

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   8. Three Directions

      Artist: Yehiel Shemi (Israeli, 1922-2003)

      Created: 1980

      Materials: steel

       

      Gift of Jacques and Donatella Lennon

       

      Three Directions is a steel sculpture by an Israeli sculptor known for his abstract works with metal. Shemi was the first Israeli artist to have his work purchased by the Museum of Modern Art.

       

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   9. Vase of the Winds II

      Artist: Fritz Bultman (American, 1919-1985)

      Created: 1962 (cast 1965, reworked)

      Materials: bronze

       

      Williams College Museum of Art. Gift of the artist.

       

      Vase of the Winds II is a bronze casting by artist Fritz Bultman. Known primarily as an abstract expressionist painter, Bultman believed in integrating sculpture into his art.

       

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   10. Succoth

       Artist: Isaac Witkin (American, 1936-2006)

       Created: 1975

       Materials: steel

        

       Gift of Jacques and Donatella Lennon

        

       Succoth is a steel sculpture created by Isaac Witkin, an internationally acclaimed artist whose works are featured in major museums in the U.S. and abroad.

        

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   11. Taichi

       Artist: Ju Ming (Chinese, b. 1938)

       Created: 1985

       Materials: bronze

        

       Williams College Museum of Art. Extended loan, collection of the artist, Courtesy of Tsong-zung Chang, Class of 1973, Hanart T Z Gallery, Hong Kong.

        

       This sculpture is influenced by Chang’s practice of tai chi. It represents the union of mind, body, and nature.

        

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   12. For Charlie (Charles Piper Cost, Class of 1987)

       Artist: John Safer (American, 20th century)

       Created: after 1985

       Materials: bronze, marble base and bench

        

       Donated by Parents and Friends

        

       For Charlie (Charles Piper Cost, Class of 1987) is a tribute to a Williams student who died when he was a sophomore in 1985. The sculpture is made of bronze and marble, and includes a bench. Family and friends donated the piece to the college.

        

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   13. Haystack Monument

       Artist: Anonymous

       Origin: American, 19th century. Erected 1867 (reinstalled 1928)

       Materials: bronze and marble

        

       The Haystack Monument commemorates the decision of five Williams students to begin an American missionary movement while taking shelter during a storm under a haystack. The monument reads, “The Field is the World” and is topped by a globe, along with a representation of the haystack and the names of the missionaries.

        

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   14. Rainspout Sculptures

       Artist: Lee Hirsche with Georgia Glick (American, 20th century)

       Created: 1981

       Materials: copper and brass

        

       Donated by Robert B. Miller, Class of 1928

        

       Rainspout Sculptures are made of copper and brass. They are located between Chapin Hall and the Bernhard Music Center. Much like musical instruments, they each make sound when rained upon.

        

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   15. Artificial Rock No. 77

       Artist: Zhan Wang

       Created: 2011-12

       Materials: stainless steel

        

       Gift of Susan Adler in honor of the Williams College Faculty of Art, in memory of Herbert S. Adler P'99

        

       Artificial Rock No. 77 brings with it the ancient Chinese tradition of scholar’s rocks--unique rocks placed in the gardens of Confucian scholars, who gazed at them during contemplation. It is located in the historic Reading Room at Sawyer Library and will inspire scholars for years to come. 

        

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   16. The Soldiers Monument

       Artist: Anonymous

       Origin: American, 19th century. Civil War memorial, re-sited after 1926

       Materials: bronze

        

       Intended to honor the names of Williams soldiers who died during the Civil War, this monument was designed by James Goodwin Batterson and dedicated in 1868.

        

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