Malorie Williamson
mwilli92@uwyo.edu
The Nuclear Family Statue in the middle of Prexy’s Pasture is up for debate on whether or not to be replaced or relocated.
The statue, which represents a man, woman and child, has been the center of attention in Prexy’s since 1983. Artist Robert Russin created the family statue along with the Ben Franklin statue at UW and the Lincoln Memorial on I-80 before his death in 2007.
The reason the statue is up for debate is because some people feel it does not accurately reflect the true University of Wyoming family.
Sarah Maze, ASUW senator and UW student ambassador, said the UW family includes not only students, but staff, faculty, alumni and community members as well. She added that all come from different cultures, backgrounds and religions.
The family statue in the middle of Prexy’s, which is supposed to represent the entire UW family, is seen as exclusive to a white man, woman and child, Maze said.
“The UW family statue may not be of significant meaning to some, but to others it is,” Maze said. “It depicts a man, woman and child in white marble and this could be inaccurate for a number of those who make up the university family here at UW.”
Chris Boswell, UW vice president for governmental and community affairs, said this is not the first time ASUW has asked the sculpture be moved from Prexy’s Pasture. In 2012, ASUW suggested the Family Statue be replaced with a bucking horse and rider.
“That did not occur,” Boswell said. “In fact, back in 2012, ASUW even set aside the funding for such a possibility.”
Ultimately that did not happen and instead Boswell said the funding for the possible new bucking horse and rider statue went to the Gateway Memorial Center instead.
A resolution was written by ASUW that does not result in any immediate action or changes to the location of the statue, but it did share the feelings of ASUW senators, executives, MECHA, spectrum and the united multicultural council.
The resolution states, “Although the University Family Statue is only one artist’s rendition of the UW Family, it is not an accurate or inclusive depiction of those individuals who comprise the UW Family.”
ASUW asked in the resolution the University of Wyoming President’s Public Art Committee seek student input concerning an alternative location for the University Family Statue.
Dr. Bonnie Zare, UW professor of gender and women’s studies, said when the Family Sculpture was first at UW, the sculpture was both inspiring and inviting. Now though, it seems simple.
“It is easy to dismiss calls for a new statue with a more inclusive family representation as coming from ‘those politically correct people who gripe at everything,’” Zare said. “Sadly, I have heard well-meaning friends who call themselves liberal wonder about why we should move it.”
Zare said those who wonder never praised it nor found it interesting. Instead they are content to let the status quo be the status quo.
Having graduated from a large campus with a very modern and conservation-making outdoor sculpture program, Zare said she encourages the University of Wyoming to incite change and creativity, rather than cling to tradition for tradition’s sake.
A meeting between ASUW and the Public Art Committee was supposed to be held on Tuesday but was cancelled due to campus closure. A new meeting will be rescheduled to determine what should happen with this issue.
