Sculpture by UNCW alumna added to library

Kathrin Bittner | Interning Writer

This semester, Randall Library installed a new sculpture in Port City Java titled “Yesterday” by Alexandra Favory.

In 2013, Favory graduated from UNC Wilmington with an honors college major in studio art and minor in anthropology studies. Previously, Favory attended the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University for South African painting and photography studies and the Penland School of Crafts, where she recently returned from a scholarship program.

Working in steel, wood, and handmade paper, Favory has had three exhibitions—two group exhibitions, “The Elegance of Steel” in 2012 and the UNCW senior exhibition in 2013, and a solo exhibition for the Ann Flack Boseman Scholarship show in 2013. All exhibitions were held on campus.

Randall Library contacted the art and art history department to commission a piece for the wall in Port City Java.

“We have made an effort to work with the art and art history department as well as other departments on campus on applied learning projects,” said Melissa Raymer, distance learning librarian at Randall Library and liaison librarian for art and art history.

Favory was contacted by Andi Steele, associate professor of studio art at UNCW, about the sculpture Randall Library had in mind.

“She was our scholarship award winner for a solo exhibition, and I knew she would be able to do a great job on that project as well,” Steele said.

The wave-like design originated from a poster that was used previously for a Randall Library event.

 “It was a design that the library had come up with and then Ally took that and really pushed it a little bit further. I think it’s really interesting,” Steele said.

Favory’s piece intends to match the same geometric design and thickness of the steel bars of Randall Library’s windows. While she usually doesn’t paint her steel sculptures in order to appreciate the organic feel of natural metal, she painted the piece to match the aesthetics of library to help the sculpture blend in with its environment.

The sculpture used more than 180 feet of stainless steel and is 6’10” feet by 13 feet and would be Favory’s second wall-mounted sculpture. The first is “Growing Barnacles.”

Favory said the title, “Yesterday,” comes from the common surfer saying—I should have been here yesterday when the waves were even bigger.

With the inspiration of the waves from the initial design, Favory wanted to add movement to the waves in her sculpture while tying it with the design elements of the library.

“We are pleased to showcase faculty, staff, student and alumni art in the learning spaces on the first floor of Randall Library. This is part of the library’s effort to support the Southeast North Carolina Collection (SENC), which is showcased throughout the library and special collections,” Raymer said.