The concrete block structure “Circle with Towers” by Sol LeWitt (1928-2007) has been purchased by Landmarks, the public art program of The University of Texas at Austin, from the Madison Square Park Conservancy in New York.
“Circle with Towers” was originally commissioned by the Madison Square Park Conservancy and exhibited from June 1, 2005 to January 31, 2006 as part of Mad. Sq. Art, the free contemporary public art program in New York City’s historic Madison Square Park.
The concrete block structure was one of two commissioned LeWitt works donated by the artist to the Conservancy for the sole purpose of generating sale proceeds to establish the Sol LeWitt Fund for Artists Work, a permanent endowment to support the creation and exhibition of public art in Madison Square Park. Beginning in 2011, exhibitions presented by Mad. Sq. Art will derive a portion of their funding from interest on the fund’s 1.4 million USD endowment.
Debbie Landau, President of the Madison Square Park Conservancy, said, “We are proud that ‘Circle with Towers’ will join the Landmarks collection. It is gratifying to know that Sol’s generosity will create opportunities for next-generation artists to exhibit their work in this beautiful urban oasis in the middle of Manhattan. We are so grateful to Sol for this gift and cannot think of a more fitting tribute to his incredible legacy.”
At The University of Texas at Austin, “Circle with Towers” will be located at the entrance to the new Dell Computer Science Hall and the Bill and Melinda Gates Computer Science Complex under construction in the center of campus. The unveiling of the work will coincide with the opening of the complex in September 2012. The work will join Landmarks’ permanent collection of public art on the main campus.
“This powerful example of LeWitt’s renowned serial structures complements the university’s purpose and its public art collection perfectly,” says Andrée Bober, Landmarks director. He redefined traditional concepts about the ways in which art is produced, and I expect his ingenuity will inspire many generations of students to imagine new ways of thinking.”
The structure is made of concrete-blocks that form a twenty-five foot diameter ring, which is intersected by fourteen-foot-high towers at equal intervals. It represents LeWitt’s use of modular structures and simple, geometric forms for which the artist is acclaimed.
Landmarks is the public art program of The University of Texas at Austin. It projects support the university as a leading research institution and provide a source of civic pride and welfare. For more information about Landmarks, please visit www.landmarks.utexas.edu.
Mad. Sq. Art is the free contemporary public art program of the Madison Square Park Conservancy, the public/private partnership with the City of New York/Parks and Recreation dedicated to keeping historic Madison Square Park a bright, beautiful and active public space. For more information about Mad. Sq. Art and the Madison Square Park Conservancy, please visit www.madisonsquarepark.org
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