A number of artworks in WSU's renowned Martin H. Bush Outdoor Sculpture Collection might be deemed whimsical. For instance, there’s Fernando Botero’s pair “Women with Umbrella” and “Man with Cane,” a couple with a decidedly cartoony aura. Yet perhaps the most whimsical of all is the newest addition to campus, Tom Otterness’ “Millipede.”
a crowd of onlookers as his “Millipede” is
unveiled on campus.
“Millipede,” or “Millie” as the piece has come to be called, was unveiled Oct. 29, 2008, and is now quite at home on the Fairmount Street island, just south of the main doors of the Ulrich Museum of Art.
The monumental arthropod in bronze is more than 25 feet long. Half of its feet wear masculine boots, the other half wear feminine high heels.
“I was worried for a little while how it would go over when I decided to crossdress it,” Otterness commented during the unveiling ceremony. “But it’s the university. It represents everyone, marching in unison toward their goals.”
fall afternoon.
The unveiling was well attended; no seats were left, and the street island was crowded with onlookers. The crowd included many prominent Shockers, including WSU President Don Beggs, as well as Otterness’ sister, who showed that Tom wasn’t the only Otterness to sport a sense of whimsy. She brought along a tadpole, fresh caught that morning from a pond behind her house.
More on Tom Otterness:
* Born 1952 in Wichita.
* Currently lives in Brooklyn, N.Y.
* Studio is in the Gowanus neighborhood of Brooklyn
* First artist to contribute a balloon to Macy's Day Parade
* Public works have appeared in Canada and Europe, as well as throughout America
