Student Bodies
Pennsylvania College of Technology Art Installations
| | 1914 Centennial 2014 | |
As part of the yearlong Centennial celebration at Pennsylvania College of Technology, three large-scale installations were created by artists with the help of students to enrich the outdoor environment of the campus.
Metal sculptor and Penn College welding instructor Michael Patterson worked with students to create an installation of life-size, abstract human forms. The welding students had the chance to couple their technical skills with their creative energy in the fabrication of the sculptures; the collaboration of technology and art generated a fresh, new energy in the welding labs. The sculptures are made entirely of material harvested from scrap metal from the welding shop.
[Quote]
I sometimes wonder how, in the past 100 years, this institution has changed the lives of others as it has mine.
I live close by, and in the mid-1970s, I wanted to be a draftsman, so Williamsport Area Community College was the obvious choice to pursue that. I enrolled, and I like it. While touring the other shops during an open house, I passed through the doorway of the welding shop. At that moment, my career - and my entire life path, for that matter - changed forever. Welding became my life's focus. To this day, that remains so.
I'm thankful for what this school taught me, and I'm thankful I'm now in a position where
this page online
"Student Bodies" is a celebratory mix of young imaginations and recycled steel. For most of the welders participating in this project, this was the first time they'd had the opportunity to work with metal outside the boundaries of function and precision. This "loosening of the rules" encouraged them to look at both the materials and their abilities differently. For a lot of them, it was an awakening of their very own, undiscovered creativity.
The raw materials and the student designs informed the final pieces. It was a very organic process and method of working. The enthusiasm and participation of the students was unexpected. Their welding skills improved markedly when they saw their creations come to life. It got them excited about being part of history here at Penn College.
- Michael Patterson
[Photo captions read]
Above: Michael Patterson works with student artists in the welding lab.
At Right: A few visuals offer a senses of the creative spirit and spark that was ignited throughout the nearly one-year "Student Bodies" creation process. More than 60 students in several classes participated in the project, producing a parade of life-sized, human forms walking - and evolving - as they move through the heart of the Penn College campus.
[School's centennial timeline]
1914 - Williamsport
1941 - Williamsport Technical Institute
1965 - Williamsport Area Community College
1989 - Pennsylvania College of Technology
Erected 2014 by Pennsylvania College of Technology.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Arts, Letters, Music • Education • Man-Made Features. A significant historical year for this entry is 1914.
Location. 41° 14.223′ N, 77° 1.576′ W. Marker is in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, in Lycoming County. It is at the intersection of 3rd Street and Susquehanna Street, on the right when traveling east on 3rd Street. Marker and one series of sculptures are southwest of Bardo Gymnasium, on the Pennsylvania College of Technology campus. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Williamsport PA 17701, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in the Pennsylvania Wilds and in the Susquehanna Valley. It is also in the American Northeast, in the Mid-Atlantic, in Appalachia, and specifically in Northern Appalachia. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy and also one of the original Thirteen Colonies.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Bardo Gymnasium (within shouting distance of this marker); Avco-Lycoming Metal Trades Center (within shouting distance of this marker); Hager Lifelong Education Center (within shouting distance of this marker); Klump Academic Center (within shouting distance of this marker); Carl Building Technologies Center (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Centennial Mosaic
Also see . . . A Celebration for the Centuries. (Submitted on July 28, 2018, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio.)
Credits. This page was last revised on August 25, 2018. It was originally submitted on July 28, 2018, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio. This page has been viewed 484 times since then and 11 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. submitted on July 28, 2018, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio. 7, 8, 9, 10. submitted on August 23, 2018, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio. 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17. submitted on August 25, 2018, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio.
