TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — “Space/Place,” an installation featuring two sculptures of molecules by University of Alabama sculpture professor Craig Wedderspoon, has touched down on the campus of the HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology in Huntsville.
The sculptures, presented to HudsonAlpha in May by Dr. Robert Olin, dean of UA’s College of Arts and Sciences, will stand at the gateway to the new Cummings Research Park Biotech Campus in Huntsville.
“The College enjoys a very productive relationship with HudsonAlpha in the areas of research, biotechnology development, and in partnering to educate Alabama’s young men and women about the world of science,” Olin said. “There is an art to scientific research, a skill developed through a good, interdisciplinary liberal arts education. So it is a special pleasure to share this work of art by UA sculptor Craig Wedderspoon that reminds us of the beauty in the creative process and in the smallest components of life.”
The sculptures, which originally were part of a UA dance performance in 2008, suggest some of the basic components of matter – molecule, atom and nucleus. They will be on permanent loan to HudsonAlpha.
“In the way a molecule is a building block for a much larger organism, HudsonAlpha aims to be the genesis of a much larger, thriving biotech campus,” says Lonnie McMillian, co-founder of the institute. “This sculpture is a fitting addition to the site, and we are grateful for this marvelous gift.”
The mission of the nonprofit HudsonAlpha Institute is to use biotechnology to improve human health, stimulate economic development and inspire Alabama’s youth to seek careers in science. The institute’s president, Dr. Richard M. Myers, is a 1977 UA graduate in biochemistry.
The College of Arts and Sciences is the University’s largest division and the largest liberal arts college in the state. Students from the College have won numerous national awards including Rhodes Scholarships, Goldwater Scholarships and memberships on the USA Today Academic All American Team.
Contact
Richard LeComte, media relations, 205/348-3782, rllecomte@ur.ua.edu