More than 80 sculptures from artists around the world adorn Vanderbilt’s campus. With some nestled along sidewalks and green spaces, and others tucked in building atriums and inside spaces, it’s hard to turn a corner without coming across notable pieces that call Vanderbilt home.
Many in the Vanderbilt community, though, might not know much about what they’re seeing. So leaders from the Office of the Vice Provost for Arts and Libraries team—along with representatives from other parts of campus—took on the task of better telling the story of Vanderbilt’s artistic landscape.
This month, part of their efforts debuts: an interactive map showing the locations of sculptures around campus and offering accompanying information about each piece so the Vanderbilt community can learn the backstory of the artwork.
“A lot of staff and students walk by sculptures on campus every day, and they might not realize the significance of them,” said Claire Campbell, program coordinator in the Office of the Vice Provost for Arts and Libraries. “There are a lot of different purposes for public art, and we hope these updated resources spark new interest in learning more about the sculptures and their
purpose on Vanderbilt’s campus.”
The project’s team included Jonathan Herrin, a GIS analyst at Vanderbilt, and Stacy Curry–Johnson, a librarian for geospatial data and systems. While art on Vanderbilt’s campus has been mapped before, new material in the interactive map will offer a more in–depth view into the history of the campus’ artistic core.
Students are also involved in the project. A small team of students with an interest in art are training to lead sculpture tours around campus for those who want to learn more about the artwork in person, Campbell said. The tours will be open to the Vanderbilt community and the public starting April 11, 2023.
The map launched this month and is available at www.vanderbilt.edu/incunabula/sculptures.
To sign up for an in–person sculpture tour with a Vanderbilt student guide, fill out this form.