New sculpture installed near Hechenbleikner Lake

UNC Charlotte’s impressive public artwork collection has increased with the installation of “Aperture” near Hechenbleikner Lake.

The new piece is a steel sculpture that is mounted on a bearing, which can be rotated to present different views. It is the creation of artist John Medwedeff. Longtime University benefactor Ike Belk commissioned the work.

Medwedeff has produced site-specific public sculpture, sculptural fountains and architectural ironwork and furniture for more than 25 years. According to the artist, his work is represented in private and public collections that include the John Deere Collection, the Metal Museum, the Illinois State Museum, the University School of Nashville, SAS Inc. and the Minneapolis Institute of Arts.

A University supporter for more than 40 years, Belk has commissioned a number of public artworks that have contributed to the campus’ aesthetic development, including the bronze statues that represent UNC Charlotte’s intercollegiate sports – a national distinction as the largest athletic statuary collection on a college campus. In January 2013, two larger-than-life, identical 12-foot statues depicting a quarterback in motion where added outside Richardson Stadium.

Belk also is responsible for “Ascend,” located outside the Student Union; “Orbis,” located between Grigg and Duke Centennial halls; “Water Harp,” near the Robinson Hall for the Performing Arts; and “Wings of Pride” that honors chancellor emeritus Jim Woodward’s service at the U.S. Air Force Academy.