Fundraiser to Acquire Bronze Sculpture Makes Progress
By Rachel Williams | Observer Contributor
Photos courtesy of MWCC Art Department
Joyce Miller, Art Professor and Director of the East Wing Gallery, said the fundraising campaign to purchase a bronze sculpture by Gene Cauthen has been successful and still ongoing.
Miller explained that the fundraising for the bronze piece started in the fall of 2018 and has been off to a good start. Although Miller does not know exactly how much has been raised, she said that the best form of fundraising has been through email lists, the art department Facebook page, printed announcements on campus and in the community, and word of mouth. The MWCC Foundation and the Marketing Department have assisted in getting a link set up for accepting donations specifically for the Gene Cauthen sculpture fundraiser, which Miller explained was a big help.
Miller explained why the “Small Bather” bronze sculpture by Cauthen was chosen for the fundraiser over others. Cauthen was the first sculpture professor in the art department and was the Gallery Director of the East Wing for many years as well. He dedicated 34 years to the art department helping the arts prosper at the college, which is why Miller and some other art faculty members felt it was best to honor Cauthen by displaying a piece of his art in the school.
Miller said that she knew Cauthen very well in their years teaching together. Cauthen and a few other colleagues were part of the interviewing process when hiring Miller as an adjunct professor. Once hired, she shared a sculpting and ceramics studio with Cauthen and from that grew “a wonderful friendship.”
Miller said that she learned so many lessons from Cauthen that there are too many to count. ”His passion for art, optimism, and eagerness to encourage others, in whatever it was they were interested in, was contagious and admirable,” said Miller.
Miller enjoyed talking to Cauthen about art, movies, and literature. She had a great friendship with him and loved seeing how dedicated he was to his students. She explained that Cauthen would often come in on weekends or stay late in the evenings helping students, especially when they were bronze casting or in the finishing stages of the bronze cast pieces.
Miller said that once the piece is purchased, it will be on display for the community to enjoy. The piece will not only be for looking but it will also be used when teaching figurative sculpture, molding, and making bronze castings for the students.
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