As the first semester following the completion of the Core renovation project at Greenfield Community College was underway, President Robert Pura knew it was time to complete the finishing touches of the space intended to welcome students and visitors back to the refurbished campus.  Specifically, it was time to install pieces of art that speak to GCC's strong academic programming in that area, and that makes the connection to the natural world of the Pioneer Valley.

"As I walked around and pointed out to people the emphasis our new Core has on integrating with the environment, inside and out, I knew we wanted to continue that theme with our art installations," said Pura. "The new construction highlights how this building is integrated into the hills that surround it."

The renovated Core reflects natural light-filled spaces, featuring wood, granite and stainless steel.  The glass walls of the new addition invite the outdoors to be a part of the experience. In fact, a student recently posted to the GCC Library Facebook page that being there is "like being in a magical tree house." Pura knew that the selection of art pieces for the common areas would require identifying something special that would continue both the thematic and the magical aspects of calling on nature to inform the design.

The solution was the purchase of two sculptures, made possible by a gift from a donor. Created by local artists using natural materials from the area, the pieces use the same media as the building itself - wood and granite – which quite literally "come from the Valley."

The first piece, providing both form and function, is a bench installed just inside the front doors of the main entrance. Created by Pacifico "Tony" Palumbo, the granite bench made from Ashfield Stone is held up by two hands sculpted by Palumbo, mounted on a platform. The piece can serve to provide a brief respite for weary students carrying heavy backpacks, for example, but it also provides every passerby throughout the day with a whimsical moment of art appreciation.

Although Tony Palumbo began drawing when he was three years old, he never had any formal training and, in response to being told that he could never make a living as an artist, put his brushes down and pursued a career in advertising for 35 years. It wasn't until he had relocated to Western Mass from New York that he could focus just on his art. At age 60, he started taking courses at the Art Department at GCC, where he studied for five years.

The second piece featured stands one floor up in the main lobby. The free form wood sculpture entitled "Victoria" stands 7 feet tall on a marble platform beneath the central stairway, complementing the barn board backdrop of the wall behind it.

Created by local artist Ed Wierzbowski, it is a primitive, abstract figure, direct carved from one large log. Wierzbowski celebrates the knots and other imperfections in the wood, which often promote the presence of mysterious faces trapped in the pieces.

When he was a graduate student at the University of Pittsburgh in 1972, Wierzbowski worked towards a major in media, focusing his studies on art as a mass communicator. Although he always sculpted his artwork became a secondary interest as he, like Palumbo, worked in another career for many years, in his case in the media industry.

"We are very pleased that this new art on display in this beautiful space reflects the work of our neighbors and our alumni," said Pura. "We wanted to identify pieces that would be consistent with the building's connection to the natural beauty of the region, this college's increasing priority on supporting local businesses and our Art Department's high standard of excellence - Tony's granite bench and Ed's wood sculpture do exactly that."

In addition to these pieces, the entryway also features a large canvas painted by Art Department Faculty Emeritus Budge Hyde and will soon be the permanent home of the whale skeleton that GCC recently acquired. Also, main lobby mezzanine art gallery will showcase the ongoing work of students and faculty from the college's Art Department.

The community is encouraged to visit the main campus at One College Drive in Greenfield to see, sit on, touch and appreciate the newly installed sculptures. While there, visit the GCC Dining Commons and Library to experience the "magic" of the newly renovated core of the building.

For futher information contact,  Regina Curtis, 413-775-1426,

###