When walking past Monroe Hall, it is difficult to miss ‘Yellow Cake,’ the large nuclear war-inspired sculpture students have called everything from a pill with dreadlocks to a hairy nuclear Twinkie. It is already being joined by other large-scale artworks set to call Loyola home for the future as part of the Prospect.1 art exposition taking place throughout New Orleans.
Already, many students are scrutinizing the sculptures, which they believe detracts from the beauty of the campus. As part of an international collaborative that is expected to bring millions of tourism dollars and welcome 150,000 visitors to the city, the Loyola community should welcome these pieces in the same way.
The benefits of Prospect.1 for the city only enhance the benefits for Loyola. With the national spotlight getting brighter on the city of New Orleans, more students from around the country will view this as a good place to attend college.
Exhibitions are currently on display here as well as Tulane University. In fact, Prospect.1 is providing a free shuttle that will bring visitors directly to the university area to see the exhibitions, which will raise more awareness about the university for prospective students.
It is difficult to constrict art to a concrete definition. However, evoking emotional responses is often a key goal of the artist when creating a piece of work.
The university is placing these artworks strategically around campus in highly visible areas in order to promote reactions, positive or negative, from students, visitors and the community.
Many argue that these pieces don’t fit in with the architectural integrity of the campus. But would the art be serving its purpose if it blended in with the campus to the point of being ignored?
‘Yellow Cake’ is a social commentary on the effects of nuclear war, and it would be almost inappropriate if it were lighthearted and aesthetically pleasing. Another piece coming is the “Emergency Response Studio,” a FEMA trailer transformed into an interactive art exhibit.
It is described as a bittersweet reminder of Hurricane Katrina’s lasting effects on the city. It is only appropriate to place the exhibit at a university where so many visitors and out-of-state students may grasp more easily the situation that displaced countless New Orleans natives.
While the new sculpture garden in between Bobet Hall and Marquette Hall will be a five year addition to the Loyola campus, Prospect.1 and its satellite projects will only remain on campus for approximately one and a half years.
All the benefits of the new campus art are worth the small price of ‘clashing’ with the buildings around campus for a couple of years. Regardless of personal taste for the visiting sculptures, it is an honor to be chosen for such a monumental project on the city’s road to stardom.
