ANN ARBOR—A 10-foot bronze sculpture at the entrance of the conference center at the University of Michigan School of Social Work is the latest addition to a collection of contemporary art assembled by the school to reflect its mission to improve the well-being of vulnerable populations. Photography, prints, textiles and sculptures—54 pieces in all—are on display throughout and around the school. They reflect such issues as multiculturalism, which fosters community spirit and respect for differences of gender, race, ethnicity, social class and sexual orientation; traditional and expanded notions of family, which affect children, youth, adults and the elderly; and the protection of the vulnerable, especially the urban poor and the sick and infirm. The collection’s centerpiece is “The Real Blue,” a four-piece, mixed media installation by American artist Sam Gilliam. The school’s most recent commissioned piece is by Bill Barrett. “Kindred, 2001,” a 10-foot bronze sculpture, stands at the entrance of the school’s Educational Conference Center. Barrett, who earned three degrees from U-M, says the fundamental style of his pieces was developed while he was a student at the University working with his mentor, Tom McClure. “Art is communication between people,” Barrett says. “Art helps people understand themselves better. It’s an involvement, that of the artist with his sculpture, and that of the sculpture with the viewer. It becomes a very intimate conversation among the three.” “The art in our collection reflects the values of the profession and the mission of the U-M School of Social Work,” says Paula Allen-Meares, the school’s dean. “Our mission is to improve the well-being of the economically and socially disadvantaged and other vulnerable populations by using research and an innovative curriculum to advance a more just, healthy and productive society.” The art collection is funded through gift funds and an endowment established by the estate of Clinton E. and Dorothy Purdy. The purchase of “Kindred, 2001” was facilitated in part through the generosity of the artist. This innovative art program benefits the academic community in several significant ways. The collection affirms the school’s identity by giving students and faculty day-to-day experiences with art that mirrors and celebrates the professional mission of a nationally distinguished School of Social Work. The collection also serves an educational function by exposing viewers to important contemporary art.

Finally, the collection furnishes the campus with a resource in addition to the art collections at the U-M Museum of Art, the Business School and the College of Engineering that helps bring the University together in an aesthetic whole. E-mail: mjnesbit@umich.edu

mjnesbit@umich.edu