Closeup of the face of St. Maur's sculpture, Spirit of John Wood.
John Wood Community College commissioned Payson artist Kirk St. Maur to create a sculpture of John Wood for the new campus at 48th and Harrison. The piece, Spirit of John Wood, represents the artist's vision of John Wood as a young man.
The statue, molded from clay and cast in bronze, is seven feet tall. It was installed near the entrance to the Student/Administrative Center in late August 2002.
"Quincy already has a realistic statue of John Wood as an elder statesman, standing as if about to give a speech. In contrast, the new monument tries to catch the spirit of the young John Wood, and the pose has him striding forth, as if stepping into his future," St. Maur says.
"The John Wood depicted was an achiever, a motivator, and a visionary. Besides being a founder of Quincy, he was a pioneer, farmer, horticulturist, real-estate investor, gold prospector, mayor and governor. Above all, he was a determined and forward-looking character. My concept attempts to portray this "spirit of John Wood" which may remind students of the many possibilities before them and the successful accomplishments to which learning can lead." There are no known likenesses of John Wood as a young man, he adds.
The Spirit of John Wood was commissioned through the State of Illinois Art-in-Architecture Program.
Kirk St. Maur is a graduate of Carleton College and completed graduate training under renowned Vatican sculptor Enrico Manfrini. He is widely known for the graceful nature of his bronze sculptures in the United States and abroad, and he specializes in symbolic, life-affirming images of the human figure.
The sculptor won an international competition for a heroic-scale sculpture of Saint Michael Archangel which he installed at the Church of San Michele at Buriano, Italy. St. Maur has shown often at the most competitive national exhibits such as American Artists' Professional League and Knickerbocker Artists, and he was one of a few sculptors selected to show in the prestigious Centennial Exhibition of the National Sculpture Society.
Personal interest/Non-credit offerings are not funded with tax dollars and are self-supporting. John Wood Community College does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national or ethnic origin, sex, religion, age, disability, or other factors prohibited by law.
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