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DELAWARE, Ohio – The term landscape art has taken on new meaning at Ohio Wesleyan University.
Sculptor Sarah Hahn, a 2008 OWU graduate, has created and installed on campus "Where the Wind Carries You," a permanent, outdoor sculpture consisting of three 10-foot-tall dandelion seeds, a pair of 4-foot-tall fingertips holding the remnants of a dandelion flower, a rippling metal wall, and a native plant pollinator garden.
"To me, it's about potential and new beginnings," said Hahn, MFA, "building on what has come before."
Hahn served as the university's 2023-2024 artist-in-residence and spent a year working to complete the artwork, which was installed Sept. 14 in a grassy area northeast of University Hall near the OWU Labyrinth and Delaware Run. She will be back on campus at 11:30 a.m. Oct. 5 to discuss the piece and dedicate it as part of Ohio Wesleyan's 2024 Homecoming and Family Weekend.
In a 2023 interview, she noted: "There are a lot of different meanings behind the piece. I like the imagery of the dandelion as it has many beneficial properties and yet is considered a weed. It is not native to Ohio but has been part of, and beneficial to, our ecosystem. …
"The seeds propel themselves far and wide, and are prolific, helping other plants and the soil where they grow. "I like this as a representation for the graduating students – to disperse after their time at Ohio Wesleyan and benefit the communities in which they live.
"The fingertips holding the head of the dandelion represent the human interaction and involvement with shaping the environment around us [and] the wall is an extension of my series 'Ripples Into the Universe.' This series represents all the small actions, events, and ideas that take place, that coalesce, to create a larger whole that propels society and the universe."
For the wall, Hahn asked Ohio Wesleyan professor Laurel Anderson, Ph.D., a botanist and poet, to create a meaningful message to encompass the art. The result is Anderson's statement, "A seed is how a plant says TRY."
"I knew the sculpture would feature dandelion seeds dispersing, and seed dispersal is a risky thing," Anderson said. "Seeds may not always end up in the optimal place for germination and growth. However, in spite of the risk, plants are making seeds and sending them out into the world.
"For me," Anderson continued, "this speaks to the persistence of life in the face of daunting odds. For me, seeing a plant through human eyes, this is an expression of hope and optimism. I want people visiting the sculpture to recognize that life of all kinds contains a strong element of chance but is also driven by hope.
"The continuation of life requires us to not be intimidated by the odds," Anderson said, "but to accept risk and try. I would love for our students, who will one day leave campus and disperse into the world, to be hopeful in the face of the world's complex challenges and keep trying."
Hahn said she looks forward to people's reactions to the text and the entire sculpture. In keeping with its environmental theme, she used as many recycled and sustainable materials as possible, including reclaimed clay, recycled wax, and insulating foam recovered by "dumpster diving" at a construction site.
She also used bronze and stainless steel to create the dandelion seeds, as well as a metal frame, epoxy clay, bronze paint, and the recycled insulating foam to create the fingertips.
When people see the piece, Hahn said, she hopes to see them "just stopping for a minute or two from a busy schedule to look and think about the piece. I think that is the power of public art."
Hahn's Ohio Wesleyan residency was funded by The Ebb and Teena Haycock Public Art Endowment. Ebb Haycock created OWU's first foundry and was a member of the Fine Arts faculty until his retirement in 1985. Daughter Lorry Luikart, OWU Class of 1973, created the endowment in 2020 in memory of both her father and mother.
Andrew Wilson, OWU Class of 2013, served as the university's inaugural artist-in-residence during the 2020-2021 academic year. His outdoor sculpture, titled "Back Porch," is a 14-foot high, 8-foot wide, and 8-foot deep metal artwork created to honor generations of OWU Black lives and legacies.
Learn more about Hahn at www.sehahnstudio.com and more about Ohio Wesleyan's Fine Arts courses, faculty, and opportunities at owu.edu/FineArts.
Founded in 1842, Ohio Wesleyan University is one of the nation's premier liberal arts universities. Located in Delaware, Ohio, the private university offers more than 70 undergraduate majors and competes in 24 NCAA Division III varsity sports. Through its signature experience, the OWU Connection, Ohio Wesleyan teaches students to understand issues from multiple academic perspectives, volunteer in service to others, build a diverse and global perspective, and translate classroom knowledge into real-world experience through internships, research, and other hands-on learning. Ohio Wesleyan is featured in the book "Colleges That Change Lives" and included on the U.S. News & World Report and Princeton Review "Best Colleges" lists. Connect with OWU expert interview sources at owu.edu/experts or learn more at owu.edu.