Heart in Hand
Heart in Hand by Ursula von Rydingsvard was installed on Miami University’s campus in November 8th, 2017. Heart in Hand is made out of bronze and stands over 10 feet tall. The statue was created using the lost wax process that has been used in bronze sculpting since ancient times The sculpture was donated by Thomas W. Smith who graduated from Miami in 1950 and who has also donated other artworks like For Kepler by Mark Di Suvero. The sculpture is placed in what is known as the Schiewetz Arts Plaza, placed in the center of the college of creative arts quad in between Hiestand Hall which is home to the fine arts classrooms, the Art Building and in front of the Center for Performing Arts it brings a sense of unity to all of the buildings that surround it. Ursula von Rydingsvard has been producing unique sculptures since the late sixties. Working out of her home in Brooklyn, her artwork has been showcased in multiple museums and sites around the United States and Europe. Growing up in Nazi Germany during the end of World War II her and her family moved from refugee camps and later settling in America. Using real life ideas and photographs she shapes cedar, graphite and bronze to sculpt her abstract pieces that re-imagine the real world. Her use of materials comes from her early life, being surrounded by raw wood housing in the refugee camps she uses cedar to connect to her emotions of that time which shows in her work. Von Rydingsvard’s work is located in permanent collections of over 30 museums including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York; Museum of Modern Art, New York; Whitney Museum of American Art, New York; Walker Art Center, Minnesota; Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Missouri; Storm King Art Center, New York; Detroit Institute of Arts, Michigan and many more.