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The “Wolf Pack” is coming!
In June 2001 the art
instructors of Co-Lin Janet Smith and Tom Ross began discussing ideas for an
art project that would excite, motivate and challenge the abilities of their
students. This project needed to showcase the student’s talents for the
general public and perhaps be a means of raising some funds for the Art
Dept.
After reading an inspiring
article on the Painted Ponies of New Mexico in the June issue of
Southwest Magazine, Janet Smith began to formulate her idea for an “Object
of Art”. There are many cities and states that have used this object of
art idea. You may be familiar with the Cows on Parade in Chicago or
noticed the large decorated fish, called The Festival of Fins, all
over New Orleans. These projects involve using an object/image as a base for
multiple people to be creative. She & Tom Ross brainstormed and came up with
the Wolf Pack Project. The object/image chosen was a wolf. The wolf
is the Co-Lin mascot a symbol that ties this creative project directly to
the school.
Smith & Ross presented
their idea to the Art Student’s League of Co-Lin to see if they would
actually want to undertake this endeavor. The response was tremendous and
work began in July 2002 to set things in motion. There was just one problem,
The ASL had no money to get this going and it wasn’t going to be cheap.
Smith & Ross went to Allen Kent, director of the Co-Lin Alumni Foundation,
who suggested they make a proposal before the Foundation Board. The Board
unanimously approved a loan to the ASL and work began on the project in July
2001.
Janet Smith volunteered to
sculpt the original wolf form approximately 18” x 24” out of modeling clay.
Magnolia Molds in Vicksburg made a plaster mold of the form. The mold was
larger than anticipated. Smith’s Machine & Welding designed and constructed
a metal bracket to support the mold and make handling easier. Individual
wolves were cast out of stoneware slip and fired two at a time in the Art
Department’s front loading, high-fire Amaco kiln.
There was another problem.
Every student wanted to get one of the wolf forms to decorated with their
design but the Art Student’s League had agreed to limit the project to only
ten forms. The students agreed to have a design competition. There were 30
designs submitted to the competition and 10 were chosen along with 2
alternates.
Casting of the ten wolf
forms began in February 2002. This was quite a learning experience. Neither
Ross nor Smith was familiar with casting molds, especially on of this size
that had separate molds for the legs. Students and teachers jumped in and
went to work. Things went surprisingly smooth but slow. As the first wolf
was taken out of the kiln in one piece there was applause and cheers. This
was the moment of realization that this was actually going to be a
successful project. All 10 wolves were complete in July 2002; one year after
initial work had begun.
The Wolf Pack is now a
nine-month traveling exhibition. In September the wolves will go to Natchez
where they will be divided between Britton Koonz Bank, United Mississippi
Bank and Am South Bank. In October they will be at Co-Lin for the homecoming
celebration. At this time the ASL will began selling Wolf Pack design
T-shirts. Other locations for the exhibit will include Hazlehurst
(November), Meadville (December), Monticello (January 2003), Magee (March)
and Brookhaven (April).
The wolf sculptures will be
sold through a silent auction. Those interested will be able to place a bid
at each exhibit location or contact Janet Smith at 835-2458. There
will be a minimum bid of $100 for each wolf. Also go to the Co-Lin website,
www.colin.edu and go to the Fine Art Division for updates on the latest
bids, exhibit location and other information.
On Monday, May 5, 2003,
there will be a final reception at the Thames Center from 5:30-7:00pm.
At this time patrons will get to make final bids and meet the artists. At
the end of the evening the high bidders will be announced. Any profits from
this project will go to the financial needs of the Co-Lin Art Dept. |
