Lower Campus Sculptures

Daedalus. James La Malfa. Bronze.

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Daedalus, a bronze relief sculpture, hangs on the northwest exterior of Phillips Science Hall. The sculpture was crafted by James La Malfa, a UW-Eau Claire art professor from 1963 to 1966. La Malfa was offered a research grant in sculpture from 1965 into 1966 from UW Eau Claire. Daedalus was acquired in 1965 through the Stella Kobilka fund for campus beautification.

The sculpture represents the Greek myth of Daedalus and his son Icarus. Daedalus is a master craftsman and creates wings for himself and his son in hopes to escape Crete. During their flight, Icarus flies too close to the sun against his father’s many warnings, causing the wax holding his wings together to melt, resulting in Icarus falling to his death. When viewing the sculpture, a figure with wings can be made out with a sun overhead. 

The Birds Nest. Chaim Gross. Bronze.

Birds Nest, by Chaim Gross, sits outside of Phillips Science Hall in dedication to previous UW-Eau Claire Chancellor, Leonard Haas. The sculpture was purchased and dedicated in 1980 by UW-Eau Claire students. The plaque for the sculpture reads, "A gift of the students of the University of Eau Claire to Leonard and Darellan Haas in celebration of their twenty-one years of service to our University. October 25, 1980.” The six-foot bronze sculpture portrays a long-necked mother bird with her baby.  

Gross, an Austrian born sculptor, was known for his direct carving technique, particularly in wood. Gross studied art at Beaux-Arts Institute of Design, Art Students League of New York, and the Educational Alliance Art School after immigrating to New York. In 1926, he started teaching at the Educational Alliance Art School where he taught for the next fifty years. He passed in 1991.

Gross has contributed to the UW-Eau Claire Permanent Art Collection immensely. Gross was a donor to the Permanent Art Collection and was also a visiting artist at the University. Around 1981, he had a one man show in the Foster Gallery, displaying his sculptures.The collection is lucky to have obtained an additional three works by Gross, in addition to Birds Nest.  

Sprites. Paul Granlund. Bronze.

Sprites is a cast bronze sculpture located on the campus mall. Created by Paul Granlund, the three figured sculpture was purchased with funds from the University Foundation and private donations in 1978. The 8-foot-high sculpture was originally placed in the Haas Fine Arts Lobby but was relocated to the campus mall in 1987 and was again moved in 2014 to sit between Schofield and Centennial Hall where it sits on a 17-foot circular base surrounded by greenery.

Former UW-Eau Claire Chancellor Leanord Haas remarked that “The location of this beautiful work of art by one of America’s greatest contemporary sculptors will be a constant reminder of the role of beauty and creativity in the lives of the thousands of students and visitors who enjoy the fine arts.”

During the formal dedication of the sculpture in June of 1979, Granlund commented on the symbolism of Sprites, stating that “the three connected figures can be compared to the vital connections of the university to the students and to the people who support the university programs.” The idea behind the sculpture came from a visit to Rome, when Granlund viewed the Fountain of Tortoises. In further detail, Granlund stated that “The three figures, which form a sphere, give the sculpture an essence of infinity and freedom. The eye travels from one figure to the next, so there is no beginning nor end, yet the observer is left with the feeling that each sprite is a free being.” 

Paul Granlund was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota in 1925. He received his Bachelor of Arts from Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter, Minnesota in 1952. Granlund earned his Master of Fine Arts from Cranbrook Academy of Art in Michigan, in 1954. Granlund’s impressive work earned him a Fullbright Award in 1954, allowing him to study in Florence, Italy. Additionally, he was able to study in Rome, after receiving the Guggenheim Award in 1957 and 1958. After his time abroad, Granlund returned to Gustavus Adolphus College in 1971 and was a sculptor until his retirement in 1996. He still had a permanent studio at the college until he passed in 2003, in Mankato, Minnesota. Granlund’s artistic career spanned more than fifty years where he created more than 650 pieces of work. The extensive work of Granlund can be seen nationally and internationally at churches, colleges, airports, hospitals, and arboretums.