In the center of the campus stands the Auraria Library. It houses an expansive collection of books, research materials, and media resources of all kinds. It serves all three academic institutions with a mission to meet the unique scholastic needs of each.
It is the only library on any campus of higher education in Colorado to serve in this capacity. Yet, it also affords display space for campus art. Even the building itself boasts of an artistic form designed by Helmut Jahn, who is world-renowned for his new European modernism approach to building design and function.
Catherine Ostrander, head of community relations at the Auraria Library provided a tour of the facility, but cautioned that “the exhibits presently on display are sparse because it’s the beginning of the semester and the art instructors have yet to submit pieces from their students.” Otherwise, she said, the library is generally full of varied art in all forms of media with diverse themes and styles.
She pointed out that, immediately to the direct left of the library entrance, there’s an alcove that has been coined “The Gallery.” This designated area allows visiting artists an opportunity to showcase their work. Though, often, the exhibits are oils, watercolors, or photographic media, glass cases can also be made available for sculptures and other forms of three-dimensional art. These displays change each month.
She also noted the hanging “kites” from the ceilings on both floors. These three-dimensional paper, wood, cloth, string, and wire creations have been donated by students, and reflect yet another variety of art found throughout the library
The art on the walls consists mainly of both permanent pieces and transitional displays. The permanent pieces are placed throughout, and each academic institution has its own dedicated wall and floor space for the display of student art. All that’s required for approval is that the artist must be affiliated with an on-campus organization and be willing to sign a liability waiver.
In the two center courtyards, surrounded on all sides by the two-story walls of the library, are trees, shrubs, and groundcover intermixed with permanent free-standing sculptures. One courtyard has two pieces of a Native-American motif; one piece is made of corten steel entitled Petrograph Canyon DeChelly, Arizona, by Fred Myers (1984); the other is made of sandstone and is entitled Tundra Walker, III, by Elaine Calzolari (1982). In the other courtyard is a seat fashioned from white marble featuring two figurines embracing, but is without any commemorative plaque.
Students of all three institutions are free to take a moment from scholastic activities to enjoy the artistic value of the building itself, and the art it contains.
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