WSP.2002.009

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Details

ID Number

WSP.2002.009

Category

Communication Artifact

Sub-category

Art

Item Name

sculpture

Maker

Cruise, Stephen

Title

Bell Measure

Date

1999

Materials

BRONZE; WHITE OAK

Measurements

7 x 14 feet

Description

Bell Measure MCMXCIX, 1999; bronze and white oak; 7 x 14 feet This is a larger than life sized versing of a typical 19th century school bell found on a teacher’s desk to bring the class to order. Bell is bronze and the handle is white oak banded with stainless steel.

History

Bell Measure is a bronze and wood piece 14’ in height x 7’2” in diameter. Conceptually this is two pieces in one. It was installed in the Odette Sculpture Park in 1999 in Assumption Park at the foot of California Ave. It was originally designed by Louis Odette, but it was cast by Stephen Cruise. This ordinary masterpiece recalls the cultural and historical importance of the bell. They continue to ring out over our communities and have done so for generations. They simply may mark the passage of time, announce a call to worship, an important town meeting, the celebration of a religious ceremony or an emergency. More familiar perhaps is the dinner or recess bell. In a very intimate way these bells “measured” the regular span of a life and marked its major events. The long wooden handle of the piece is the “Measure”. It is much like the bar measure or ruler used by archeologists to measure what is unearthed from the past. He invites us to appreciate the precision, balance and craftsmanship of these ordinary masterpieces. In the Spring of 2014 the Windsor Star had a "Sculpture Park Showdown" contest similar to the bracket challenge for NCAA March Madness. There were 5 rounds in total. Bell Measure was out after round one.

Collection Name

Windsor Sculpture Park