Trees wrapped in blue reflect fountain

TreeWrappingThe assignment for the final art project in his Introduction to Studio Art class called for an “ambitious” project that “demonstrates your increased conceptual and technical sophistication about art,” said Michael Katz, adjunct art professor. He specified to his students that “the subject, form, content, medium, size, approach and mode of expression are entirely your choice.”

Sophomore Ana Porth (pictured), biology major and art minor from Nashville, Tenn., was inspired to provide “something fun to look at” for fellow Stetson students especially as everyone prepares for finals. In her “ode to the fountain,” Porth chose to wrap many of the palm trees surrounding Holler Fountain with blue fabric, picking up the color the fountain was painted at the beginning of the 2013-14 school year.

“Ana enjoys making ambitious, complex, large artworks,” said Katz. “She likes the experiences the process provides. She has discovered that the work you enjoy doing usually produces the best results. Ana’s site-specific wrapped trees installation is an example of that. It demonstrates her successful understanding of the topics of the Intro to Studio Art course, while making a work of art the community can enjoy.” Blue Trees

In the Nov. 7, 2013 story, Holler Fountain holds more than water featured in Stetson Today, the history of the bright blue of the fountain was explained. “The aqua blue color is not ‘new’ but rather the original color of the cast iron fountain,” explained Al Allen, associate vice president of facilities management. The original color was discovered when the fountain was renovated in 2001, and it was that original, very bright blue hue that greeted students when they arrived on campus in fall 2013.