Student Bodies - Centennial Art Installation At Penn Tech

 
If you stand at the intersection of Susquehanna & Third streets in Williamsport and look south on the campus of Penn Tech, you'll see 78 very  interesting "Student Bodies."  

 Metal sculptor and welding instructor Michael Patterson, along with approximately 50 welding students, over a years time, constructed 78 life size structures from 7,000lbs of scrap metal, as an art exhibition for the colleges Centennial Celebration in 2014.

We've been here a few times, and have always been able to just walk down the sidewalks to view the sculptures.  It may however, be best to do this in the summer, when the campus is not full of students.  

This motorcycle is located on the right as you walk onto the campus, before you get to the "Student Bodies".

My photos absolutely do not do these justice.  It's much more fun to see these in person , than in photos.

As part of its Centennial anniversary, Pennsylvania College of Technology welcomed 78 new “students” this fall, many of which just might be around for the institution’s bicentennial. Some of these “freshmen” could sustain a broken body part, and others might corrode. But if welding majors, faculty and staff did their job correctly, the “Student Bodies” Centennial Sculpture will be still standing in 2114.  https://www.pct.edu/news/article/2014/10/10/penn-college-dedicates-student-bodies-centennial-sculpture

In 2012, College President Davie Jane Gilmoure asked metal sculptor and welding instructor Michael Patterson to submit design ideas for an art piece to commemorate the colleges Centennial Anniversary.

“I just came up with this wild idea about having a bunch of abstract human forms walking down the middle of campus,” said Patterson, “and that really raised her eyebrows.”

Most of the sculptures weigh around 80lbs. One weighs 350lbs.

“Before they even touched the steel, the students had to visualize a structure resembling a human being,” Patterson said. “Then they were presented with a pile of steel and had to convert the design into a tangible shape by welding it all together. I stressed to them that these have to be 100-year welds.” - Patterson

Some of the sculptures  names include "Pipe Man", "Atlas",  “Running Girl” and “Terminatoresque Man”.

Along the walk, you can also see this mosaic:

Approximately 14,000 fragments of ceramic tile, mirror and stones make up the Centennial mosaic.  It was designed by David A. Stabley, instructor of ceramics and wood sculpture.  Stabley created a three credit course titled The Art Of Mosaic, with the  class meeting four days a week for a month, to install the piece.

The Colleges cCntennial Timeline:

1914 - Williamsport Area School District Adult Education 

1941 - Williamsport Technical Institute

1965 - Williamsport Area Community College

1989 - Pennsylvania College of Technology

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From the Historical Walking Tour Sign  on location:

 "Sometimes wonder how, in the past 100 years, this institution has changed the lives of others as it has mine.

I live close by, and in the mid-1970s, I wanted to be a draftsman, so Williamsport Area Community College was the obvious choice to pursue that. I enrolled, and I like it. While touring the other shops during an open house, I passed through the doorway of the welding shop. At that moment, my career - and my entire life path, for that matter - changed forever. Welding became my life's focus. To this day, that remains so.

I'm thankful for what this school taught me, and I'm thankful I'm now in a position where I can share that with others.

"Student Bodies" is a celebratory mix of young imaginations and recycled steel. For most of the welders participating in this project, this was the first time they'd had the opportunity to work with metal outside the boundaries of function and precision. This "loosening of the rules" encouraged them to look at both the materials and their abilities differently. For a lot of them, it was an awakening of their very own, undiscovered creativity.

The raw materials and the student designs informed the final pieces. It was a very organic process and method of working. The enthusiasm and participation of the students was unexpected. Their welding skills improved markedly when they saw their creations come to life. It got them excited about being part of history here at Penn College.

- Michael Patterson