Students leave campus legacy with metal sculpture project

KOKOMO, Ind. - When Nick Biscella first enrolled at Indiana University Kokomo, he wasn't sure what he wanted to do.

But when he first entered the Fine Arts Building, "it all clicked into place."

Wednesday, Biscella, along with classmates Alyssa Stevens and Sierra Pixley, dedicated Passage to the Possible, a 9-feet-tall metal sculpture that symbolizes their journeys through college, and the opportunities made possible by higher education.

"Being able to work on a project like this has been a real pleasure for me," said Biscella, from Kokomo. "I've worked on some skills I didn't have before."

The students, along with Gregory Steel, professor of fine arts and new media, and Cybil Johnson, an alumna who served as artist-in-residence for the sculpture class, joined friends, family, faculty, and campus leaders to celebrate placement of their sculpture by the East Building, facing towards the Well House. The event also included a walking tour of the campus outdoor sculpture collection and the opening reception for the Biennial Alumni Art Exhibition in the Art Gallery.

Pixley said IU Kokomo gave her the opportunity to refine her skills as an artist while majoring in nursing.

"This sculpture represents the way this campus is bringing different paths together and giving students the freedom to explore more than one side of who they are," said Pixley, from Kokomo. "To me it symbolizes the joy of college, the steps we take, the risks we take, and the opportunities we take when we keep moving forward. It's that in-between place where hard work means possibility."

Stevens, from Peru, was excited for the opportunity "to leave a lasting impact" on campus with the sculpture, which they envision as a prime photo opportunity for future students and graduates. She said it began with just a few words about what it means to be in college.

"Saying I learned a lot during this class is an understatement," she said. "We had a vision, we focused on our goal, and we accomplished it. Coming to college, you may not know who you are. If you focus on the goal of achieving college, the rest falls into place."

Steel added that the placement was not random - it's set at an angle, framing a view of the Well House to the northwest.

"We put it here so when you look through you see the icon of the campus, you see the large sycamore trees," he said. "It's this opening of possibilities for these students. They can move into the future with a strong sense of meaning and courage."

The sculpture's message of the transformative power of education is particularly meaningful for artist-in-residence Johnson, who struggled to find her way at IU Kokomo at first. Her metal sculpture class inspired her to further study, and she's now completing a Master of Fine Arts with plans to become a college professor.

"When I first took this class, it was the first time I got hooked on metal working," she said. "Getting to come back and do it again at the end of another chapter in my life was a surreal moment. There's something magical about that metal shop and that building, and it gave me the confidence I need to get through the last seven months of graduate school. I owe this place a lot, and I'll always give back to IUK."

Chancellor Mark Canada congratulated the students on their accomplishment, saying that this kind of work represents the experiential learning the campus offers through the Kokomo Experience and You, or KEY program.

"We specialize in hands-on education here," he said. "This is work our students put their hands on and created. It is a visual demonstration of what we do so well here not just in art, but in nursing, in psychology, in communications, in business and in health sciences across the board. Our students get their hands on their education, and they learn by doing. We provide a passage to the possible."

Education is KEY at Indiana University Kokomo.

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