Across Central Washington University’s campus, a number of sculptures decorate the grass and pathways leading to academic buildings, but where do these sculptures come from? What is the story behind the sculptures and other art pieces that beautify CWU’s campus?

CWU retains a large collection of artwork ranging from sculpture, woodcarving, painting and other mediums. Art Department Chair Gregg Schlanger describes how art is collected and created for campus with assistance from the state arts commission, ‘ArtsWA.’

“The state of Washington [has] the second oldest ‘percent for arts’ program in the country, Hawaii, I think, was the very first one. So in a way, Washington is a leader,” Schlanger said.

Whenever a new building is constructed, or large-scale renovations are completed, a portion of the construction budget is required to be spent on art.

“A certain percentage of the cost of that capital project has to go for art. Generally, it ranges from half a percent to one percent,” Schlanger said.

For example, if a building has a budget of $1,000,000, then 1%, [or $10,000] should be allocated to fund a commissioned art piece. To purchase an art piece, “a committee is formed and it’s overseen and administered by the state’s arts commission,” Schlanger said.

The state arts commission collects a pool of applicants based on their experience. In the case of the new Science Phase II building, over one-hundred artists were considered. According to Schlanger, an artist from Los Angeles will be working on the art piece for Science Phase II.

CWU is currently working to approve art funding for the Samuelson remodel, which is poised for completion in 2018.

What about student artwork on campus?

“Last year, student government decided and wrote a resolution to designate [roughly] $1000 a year to purchase artwork from the student art show,” Schlanger said.

This year a collection of graphic design prints were purchased for display. In addition, “there are some other things around campus that are residue from students of long ago that have remained here,” Schlanger said.

For these large-scale art projects, plenty of time is required to finish an art piece for display. Kathleen Barlow, department chair and professor of anthropology and museum studies commented on the process to commission the vase structures in front of Dean Hall.

“You’re suppose to offer the artist a range of ideas and options that will be themes, and locations for the art, and then it’s hands off. They should have the artistic freedom to do what they want,” Barlow said.

According to Barlow, work on the vases began in 2007 and concluded in 2009. Local Seattleite Benson Shaw was commissioned for the project. Originally, one of Benson’s vases was to depict a native wildcat, but unfortunately, the university turned the design down for not reflecting the university’s pre-established logo.

Barlow and Schlanger both commented on the importance of art on campus.

“We are an institution of [higher education] and I think that public art, good public art, stimulates the brain. Whether you like it or not isn’t always necessarily as important as it makes you think… I believe that that is a part of the learning process,” Schlanger said.

While Barlow said, “I think it just enriches our environment and gives us an aesthetic dimension to our day to have these things to pass by… it’s thought provoking… It opens up your thinking and your feeling about the world you are in. It doesn’t have to be verbal, technical, it should be artistic as well.”

In recent years, art on campus has faced challenges.

“There has always been a need to support the art on campus and we’ve been through difficult economic times,” Barlow said.

Another threat to campus art is a lack of organization and responsibility.

“There have been major pieces of art on this campus that have disappeared,” Barlow said. He explained that sometimes art can be misplaced or moved without proper authorization and record keeping. Barlow theorizes that when a professor does not like an art piece in their office, they will store it away in a closet where it will be forgotten in time.

Barlow later explained that museum studies students have attempted to recover lost art, going from building to building to locate art on campus.

As a whole, art on campus should be appreciated more. Students should take a moment and question an art piece and consider the artist’s motivations. How did the artist craft a piece? What should the viewer take away? Above all, how does the art reflect CWU’s aesthetic and the students that have built a life here?