Bison Gates

This spring the Bison Gates community art project will return to life on the Belleville Campus of Southwestern Illinois College!

Saturday, April 26
9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Harvest invasive vines, meet at the Native Habitat on the southwest corner of SWIC's Belleville campus.

Sunday, April 27

12:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Build vine structure, meet at the lawn east of the Schmidt Art Center.

Wednesday, April 30

9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Build vine structure and begin the sod coat, meet at the lawn east of the Art Center.

Saturday, May 3
9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Apply sod coat, meet at the lawn east of the Art Center.

Sunday, May 4

12:00 p.m . - 4:00 p.m.

Finish sod coat, meet at the lawn east of the Art Center

Community volunteers - including Southwestern faculty, staff and students - will repair the adobe "Bison Gates" and create new sculptures in honor of the historic buffalo wallow in the Shaw's Garden East Signature Garden located on the southwest edge of the campus.

Ron Fondaw returns as the project director. Fondaw is a regional artist and Professor of Art at Washington University. He has built public sculptures in communities throughout the country.

Photos from 2007

Building the sculpture armature with harvested honeysuckle, an invasive vine.

Mixing the adobe.

Applying the adobe with the wattle and daub technique.

Putting the finishing touches on the bison form.

Mixing and applying color to the hardened adobe surface.

Carving detail into the surface.

Watch the video!