OMAHA, Neb. (AP) - Creighton University officials held an unveiling ceremony Thursday for a new sculpture called “The Flame.”
The Omaha World-Herald (https://bit.ly/1bnSatR ) reports that the piece was commissioned by the family of Charles and Mary Heider, supporters of the university and namesakes of the Heider College of Business. Nearly two years ago, the family approached the university’s president, with the idea for a sculpture paying tribute to the school’s Jesuit tradition.
At the ceremony, artist and Creighton professor Littleton Alston told a crowd that he hopes the sculpture will serve as a symbol for the university.
The stainless steel piece stands over 20 feet tall and features an eternal flame. An inscription featuring a quote attributed to St. Ignatius of Loyola, the 16th century founder of the Society of Jesus, is etched into the side: “Go set the world on fire.”
In the early stages, Scott Heider, Charles and Mary Heider’s son, asked Alston to consider a flame as a possible theme for the project, though he never imagined the artist would bring back a vision with real fire.
Alston said he chose cast stainless steel for the sculpture because of the way the material interacts with the flame. During daytime, he claims the polished surface will be bright in appearance. At night, it will become more subdued as the fire inside becomes more visible.
“Sculpture can be a living thing,” Alston said. “It isn’t just a statue. It deals with us in the physical world in a real way. It has a life of its own, in a way.”
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Information from: Omaha World-Herald, https://www.omaha.com
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