Jerome Thompson Curatorial Statement

“A sense of place has been described as the experiential and expressive ways places are known, imagined, yearned for, held, remembered and lived.

In 2007 I wrote about my experiences with encountering Petersen’s works of art around campus as a “faculty kid” growing up in the 1950s and 1960s.  The array of his sculpture around campus gives a special sense of place to me that I have not found on any other campuses I have visited.  I suspect others who have experienced the Iowa State campus as a student, alumni, community resident, or visitor may have a similar view.

From 1934 to 1955 Christian Petersen was artist-in-residence at Iowa State College (now University) and sculpted public and studio works of art for the College and its departments as well as teaching sculpture. Working with faculty, staff, and students he conceived, sculpted, and installed iconic works of art that expressed Iowa State’s land grant mission.

While many of Petersen’s sculptures are place specific around campus, this exhibition will rely on sketches, models, and concept drawings from the vast collections housed at the University Museums to figuratively bring these works of art into the Campbell Gallery at the Christian Petersen Art Museum. 

The selected models, sketches and drawings will bring to the museum representation of the permanently installed History of Dairying, Marriage Ring, Gentle Doctor, Veterinary Medicine Mural, Three Athletes, Conversations, Library Boy and Library Girl, Reclining Nudes, Fountain of the Four Seasons and the Agronomy Mural.  Except for the Four Seasons statues, the works of art will be arranged chronologically throughout the gallery.

A campus map with specific public works of art marked to orient visitors to their locations are available as well as copies to take away so the original works of art can be explored later.  Relevant sections of Campus Beautiful (2015) are extracted to provide additional context and scholarship to the exhibit.”

-   Jerome Thompson, guest curator

This exhibition is guest curated by Jerome Thompson and coordinated by University Museums, with support by Lorraine Bruns Estate, Carol and David Hawn, Beverly and Warren Madden, Rae Reilly, and University Museums Membership.