Southern Utah Museum of Art Celebrates Completion of Sculpture Court
Published: July 21, 2022 | Read Time: 3 minutes
Southern Utah Museum of Art (SUMA), on the campus of Southern Utah University, will celebrate the newly completed Stillman Sculpture Court during Community Day on Thursday, July 28, 2022, from 4-7 p.m. This event is free and open to everyone.
The celebration will begin with a ribbon cutting ceremony honoring the late Larry Stillman and his wife, Liane, and their family. It will also include sculpture art activities, refreshments and performances by the SUU Native American Student Association.
Originally debuted in 2016 as part of the of The Beverley Center for the Arts, the Stillman Sculpture Court has undergone upgrades over the past three years. Improvements included new pathways to make works more accessible, enhanced landscaping, and the addition of works by artists Allan Houser, Nnamdi Okonkwo, Lorri Acott, and David Phelps.
"The concept of a sculpture garden began back with former SUU President Mike Benson and has gone through many iterations to become this stimulating plaza,” said Lianne Stillman. “My husband Larry and I wanted to showcase several interpretations of the human form, emotion, and activity. We express deep appreciation to the talented sculptors, to SUMA, and the dedicated SUU facilities staff who have helped realize our vision."
"Through our strategic plan, adopted in 2019, we set a goal to acquire new works for the Stillman Sculpture Court that would bring an encyclopedic approach to sculpture at the museum," said Jessica Kinsey, SUMA executive director. "These recent acquisitions not only complete the space, but more importantly bring much-needed representation of our campus and community to the permanent collection."
The final sculpture, Raindrops by Chiricahua Apache sculptor Allan Houser is one of ten bronze castings of the original steatite (soapstone) carving, made in 1993. It features a Native American woman with a sheep resting at her feet; both are reflections of Houser’s ancestry and culture. This sculpture was acquired through contributions from the Stillman family, Allan Houser Foundation, Cedar Band Corporation, Cedar Livestock & Heritage Festival, Friends of SUMA, Iron County, Southern Utah University, and Utah Arts & Museums funded by the Utah Legislature.
"Cedar Band Corporation, as the economic development arm of, and tribal corporation wholly owned by, the Cedar Band of Paiute Indians, was both humbled and honored to be able to donate important funding towards SUU’s acquisition of Allan Houser’s Raindrops,” said Paul Terry, president & CEO of Cedar Band Corporation. “Raindrops will not only grace the Stillman Sculpture Court but will also watch over this special place as both a historical and modern-day guardian woman!"
SUMA is free and open to the public Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. but the Stillman Sculpture Court can be visited at any time. Additional information about the Stillman Sculpture Court and Community Day can be found on SUMA’s website www.suu.edu/suma. Admission to the museum is free and open to the public thanks to Cedar City RAP Tax, Utah Arts and Museums funded by the Utah Legislature, and Zions Bank.
About Southern Utah Museum of Art
Southern Utah Museum of Art, on the campus of Southern Utah University, features the artwork of regional artists known for their landscapes, faculty and student artists from the SUU Department of Art & Design, as well as emerging and distinguished artists from around the country. Strengths of the nearly 2,000-object permanent collection include the body of work by Jimmie Jones that exemplifies his notable career in the regions, as well as a robust collection of prints featuring well-known artists such as Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Salvador Dalí, Katsushika Hokusai, Thomas Hart Benton, and others. Part of the Beverley Taylor Sorenson Center for the Arts, which also includes the Utah Shakespeare Festival, SUMA is free and open to the public.
Tags: Cedar City SUMA Beverley Center for the Arts