Sculpture Embodies Power of Artistic Collaboration

A new sculpture, created and conceived by an MSUfaculty member and student, is permanently displayed outside the headquarters for the Michigan State University Federal Credit Union (MSUFCU) in East Lansing.

The sculpture, titled “Us,” was created by Alex Vonhof, a 2023 graduate with a BFA in studio art, and Jacquelynn Sullivan Gould, teaching specialist and director of galleries for the Department of Art, Art History, and Design.

Vonhof and Sullivan Gould were selected from a pool of artists who responded to MSUFCU’s request for qualification, which sought individuals with prior experience and preferred an MSU affiliation.

“I knew Alex hadn’t had a chance to make any public art, so that would eliminate him from being able to participate,” Sullivan Gould said. “But together, with me being an alum and a faculty member, and also having a student, we literally fulfilled all they were hoping for.”

For Vonhof, the project was an invaluable educational experience, allowing him to apply what he learned in Sullivan Gould’s outdoor sculpture and public art class.

“You can’t be an artist and an educator without wanting to give your students an opportunity to grow, and to learn from whatever experiences you can offer them,” Sullivan Gould said.