Clik here to view.
Clik here to view.
Clik here to view.
Clik here to view.
Clik here to view.
Clik here to view.
Early last year, the artist team of Marek Walczak and Wes Heiss invited more than 1,500 community members and Chico State faculty, staff, and students to pose for profile photographs. The artists’ plan was to transform the photos into etched stainless steel silhouettes to forever honor the diverse and vibrant community that makes up the campus spirit.
This month, 996 of those silhouettes were installed in their new home on the south wall of the new Arts & Humanities Building along Second Street.
“We felt that the idea of inclusivity should be key to the creation of our artwork,” the artists wrote in their project proposal. “We hope that these individuals will stand like totems on the facade of the arts and humanities building, quietly watching over the equally diverse group of people who will see it every day.”
President Paul Zingg said the artwork needed to convey a sense of place and purpose because of its location as a gateway to the campus.
“Facewall invites viewers to pause and consider the individuals who make our community so special,” Zingg said. “Through the movement of light and shadow, Facewall will appear to change, even though the profiles are static. It is a powerful visual metaphor for the relationship of people, place, and purpose.”
Facewall by the Numbers
- 79 stainless steel totems
- 12 unique profiles on each totem
- 42 feet across and 11 feet tall 996 faces featured
The artists are currently working on a website to list whose profiles are on the wall, which will be available at www.facewall.me soon.
The Arts & Humanities Building will open for use in fall 2016.
