Husky Statue Plaza Analysis

On October 13, 2014, students, staff, faculty, alumni, and other community members celebrated the dedication of the Husky Statue Plaza. The Statue weighs 1600 pounds and sits atop a 19-ton, 1.8 billion year old rock donated by alumnus Roland Hutala. Eight hundred thirty-two pavers, many of which are dedicated to individuals and organizations, surround the Statue. The creator of the Statue is unknown. As public art, the Husky Statue Plaza engages a broad audience and is valued in myriad ways. Its unnamed creator made a number of crucial, creative decisions that influenced the final piece. As with all art, a number of changes could be made to better accomplish its creator’s goals. The aim of this paper is to analyze the Statue’s execution,

The Husky Statue Plaza represents a cultural memory and a shared identity among its community members. The pavers surrounding the Statue are engraved with names of individuals and organizations that found it valuable enough to contribute their money. Donors leave their legacy in the form of these personalized pavers. A few donors are recognized in the form of named benches. Donors and their successors will undoubtedly return to the Plaza to view the pavers and reflect upon the past. While studying the Husky Statue in preparation for my analysis, I noticed a woman walking around the plaza and taking photos of various pavers that resonated with her. With respect to the universe, human lives are transient. Humans want to be remembered. Individuals find meaning in the Husky Statue Plaza through the engraved

Gender can be removed from the Husky Statue. As mentioned earlier, the depiction of male genitalia was controversial. Removing gender from the Statue wouldn’t negatively affect its reception. A genderless husky can still represent all of the values of the university. Adding a larger-than-life sled next to the Husky Statue could increase engagement by allowing another opportunity for photos. Signs around the Plaza discourage sitting on the Husky, and adding a sled would allow individuals to be a part of the Statue, since people sit on sleds normally. The addition of a sled exemplifies the hard-working nature of the university and is a reference to its climate. Adding additional huskies could represent how the entire community can be attributed to the university’s success. Success is very rarely an outcome produced by a single individual. Those are a few of many possible improvements to the Husky Statue