Ag, Art, and ATRB
By: Savannah Keitzer
May 21, 2019
The state-of-the-art Advanced Teaching and Research Building opened its doors in October of 2018. The building is located on the corner of Stange and Pammel Drive, or across the street from Lagomarcino Hall. It houses research labs, teaching labs, formal and informal collaboration spaces, and two new significant works of art. One piece is an oil painting by Rose Frantzen and the other is a sculpture by Gaston Nogues. The College of Agriculture and Life Sciences commissioned the artwork in partnership with University Museums.
Iowa State University Museums has the largest public art collection of any university in the nation. More than half of the 2,000 works in Iowa State’s Art on Campus Collection represent agricultural ideas.
Across campus, art is placed in buildings, courtyards, open spaces and classrooms. According to University Museums, Iowa State’s public art is required to meet specific criteria in order to be displayed on campus. The new painting and sculpture met the criteria.
Rhythms — Bean Fields at Sunset
The painting, “Rhythms — Bean Fields at Sunset,” found in the east atrium of the Advanced Teaching and Research Building celebrates the important role crops and agriculture play in the state of Iowa. The artist, Rose Frantzen, is a native of Maquoketa, Iowa, and has gained international fame for her oil paintings.
“Rhythms – Bean Fields at Sunset” celebrates the important role that crops play for the state of Iowa, the nation and the world,” said Joe Colletti, interim dean of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at a reception held on October 31 to debut the painting. “And, in my own interpretation, I believe it also celebrates the vital, underlying roles and accomplishments of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. What we do in research and extension to support the productivity and profitability of soybean growers, and all Iowa farmers, is embedded in Rose’s new artwork.”
Organic Dreams Synthetic Means
The sculpture, “Organic Dreams Synthetic Means,” is in the north atrium of the Teaching and Research Building. The artist, Gaston Nogues was born and raised in Buenos Aires before moving to Los Angeles as a teenager. This is Nogues and his partner Benjamin Ball’s second installation at Iowa State University. The other sculpture is located in Bessey Hall.
“Organic Dreams Synthetic Means” is made of fiberglass rods that light up to show the process of a seed becoming a plant, which reflects the agricultural focus of the building. However, Nogues encourages people to interpret the meaning of the sculpture themselves, explaining that the sculpture does not represent one specific idea.
For more information on campus art, to find maps, or schedule a tour visit Iowa State University Museums at https://www.museums.iastate.edu.