AUM alumna Heather Perry Logan has won the Student Sculpture Competition at Auburn University at Montgomery.
Open to AUM students and alumni, the competition was narrowed to four final designs and voted upon by university students, alumni and employees. Logan’s “Aeolian Wind Harp Tubes” captured more than half the votes, 361 out of 600, with the next most popular design coming in a distant second with 123 votes. The piece will now be fabricated and installed as a permanent campus fixture.
The design features a twisted band of 250 multi-length mirrored aluminum tubes that will catch and resonate the wind. Random tubes will contain guitar strings,vibrating in different tones depending on the strength of the wind – creating a symphony of sound.
Logan said she wanted the design to reflect the straight, clean lines of campus and offer an inviting, meditative space. On a deeper level, the design is meant to symbolize change and how individuals respond to it.
“We choose to face the wind and embrace it and make the most of what this may offer to our lives,” said Logan. “The Aeolian Harp Wind Tubes become that embodied idea, a reminder that what can seem an impossible venture can be immensely rewarding.”
Logan graduated from AUM in 2008 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in sculpture. It took two months of sketching, scaling and modeling to create the finished concept. Her husband, Will Logan – who also holds a BFA from Auburn Montgomery – served as her sounding board. The newlyweds were married in the middle of the design process on Dec. 28, 2011.
“Heather was always a really good, directed student, so it doesn’t surprise me that her piece was selected,” said Sue Jensen, associate professor in the AUM
Department of Fine Arts. “She always worked really hard, had interesting pieces and different perspectives. She was always willing to take the challenge.”
AUM will now take on the challenge of installing Logan’s design – which calls for the creation of an amphitheater surrounding the wind harp structure. While a time frame has not yet been announced, Jensen said she hopes the piece will be revealed in the fall.
Scale Model of Aeolian Harp Wind Tubes
Reporting by Buffy Lockette