What do a shiny replication of Gumby, industrial sculptures of a DNA double helix and a pi symbol, and a majestic but undersized lion have in common?

They’re all considered works of art on our campus - but what do they mean, and why are here?

For starters, all of the sculptures are considered donations. The shiny Gumby thing in the pavilion by Reeves was given to the school by David McCune, an abstract artist, and founder and president of McCune Technologies/Fayetteville Steel.

“I see art as an expression of mind, body and soul in the pieces I create,” McCune quoted on his website. Every sculpture he creates is completely original and one of a kind. However, the tall, gleaming steel sculpture somehow makes the beaten, cracked pavilion look even worse by comparison.

Although Methodist may be proud to display fine works of art, students are having trouble finding a point in the modern steel sculpture.

“Have we ever displayed what these things mean to our institution?” asked Jarrel McRae, a senior. “It’s meaningless to a student just walking by if they don’t know why the abstract things are there. They are hard to respect.”

McRae isn’t the only confused student on campus. When asked what they thought of the sculptures around campus, five students responded “What sculptures?”

Those who knew what I meant by sculptures often referred to the pi symbol and DNA helix (or swirly tornado thing) in front of the science building. While these sculptures are at least relevant to their location, they are not at all creative. The money donated for them could have been used on renovations to the old science building, like room 222, the old auditorium.

Many people are not even aware of the newest addition to our on-campus art collection. If you happen to be walking into the Riddle Center and take a glance toward the bushes to your right, you’ll see a bronzed lion, dwarfish, but proud nonetheless, was nonchalantly placed by the bushes like a spare trash receptacle. This lion could have been made a centerpiece for our campus, but was instead placed nonchalantly by the bushes.

“The lion would be great if they put it in a more visible place,” said Zebulon Russell, a freshman. “Our campus needs to show school spirit, and things like that would help. Why don’t we have student made sculptures displayed?”