The competition, sponsored by the National Ornamental & Miscellaneous Metals Association, was open to more than one thousand member firms through the U.S. and 14 other countries. The 13-foot tall, one-ton sculpture took four months to create and used almost two tons of raw material.
The sculpture is one of the largest pieces in the growing Brenau University Permanent Art Collection, which now includes more than 800 pieces and boasts original work by well-known moder artists such as Jasper Johns, Claes Oldenburg, Alexander Calder, Robert Rauchenburg, and Roy Lichetenstein.
Brenau President John Burd began the collection when he joined Brenau in 1985.
"It is works such as Crawford's Viola that make Brenau a landmark in the liberal arts community," Dr. Burd said. "Ultimately, the function of any art form is to bring enjoyment and its my hope that Brenau's collection will continue to offer its students and the public the kind of satisfaction that can only be found in such fine art in the foreseeable future."
http://accesswdun.com/article/2003/3/181365