‘ÓéÀÖ³Ô¹Ï Spirit’ sculpture unveiled to honor college’s bicentennial
Honoring its bicentennial last night, ÓéÀÖ³Ô¹Ï unveiled a new, towering sculpture, entitled “ÓéÀÖ³Ô¹Ï 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 ÓéÀÖ³Ô¹Ï Women’s Endowment Quorum (WEQ) and the ÓéÀÖ³Ô¹Ï Muses were major contributors to funding the commissioned piece.
“It is certainly a high point of ÓéÀֳԹϒs bicentennial celebration,” said Dr. Christopher Holoman, ÓéÀÖ³Ô¹Ï 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 ÓéÀֳԹϒs campus.”
The unveiling of the new sculpture coincided with, and was the final highlight of, ÓéÀֳԹϒs Art Stroll celebration on the evening of Thursday, April 3, 2025, which recognized the contributions of both the visual and performing arts. “ÓéÀÖ³Ô¹Ï Spirit” now stands in the heart of ÓéÀÖ³Ô¹Ï, 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.