Opening Monday, March 29 through Friday, May 28, the first phase will explore the genre in the hands of Northwest artists. The second phase will be an international exhibition, opening Friday, April 28 and running through Saturday, June 26. Western Gallery exhibits are free and open to the public from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Mondays through Fridays and noon to 4 p.m. Saturdays. The work, a series of poured concrete steps, tinted white, will be the 23 rd contemporary piece in Western Washington University's internationally renowned Outdoor Sculpture Collection. It is the sixth gift to the collection from the Virginia Wright Fund, founded in 1973 by the Seattle collector and arts patron.
Footings are in place.
Development of structural forms and the pouring of concrete will be under the supervision of the artist at critical intervals, and Nauman will again be on campus in mid-December to complete the work. Sarah Clark-Langager, curator of the collection and director of the Western Gallery, noted that people will interpret Nauman's design in many ways. She noted that Nauman's work has been high on a list developed by a public Outdoor Sculpture Collection jury in 1993. This prestigious award is given every two years by the University of Wisconsin-Madison and recognizes outstanding leadership and professional contributions to the field of continuing and distance education in North America. Olcott is currently the associate dean for Extended University at the University of Arizona.