Sally Bjork
April’s I Spy “features a detail on the U-M Literature, Science, & the Arts (LSA) building, 500 S. State,” writes Ivana Tullett. Debbie Onderdonk and Rudi Hautleitner note its location on the west side of the building, facing the square with the Cube. It’s a “bas relief sculpture by Marshall Fredericks,” says Jeri Hollister. One of thirty-nine bas reliefs Fredericks created for the building, Dave Bicknell adds, “this one is Girl with Rabbits & Birds.”
Constructed in 1948, the LSA Building incorporates bas reliefs inspired by Aesop’s fables, as pointed out by David Karl, as well as elements of various cultures and the natural world. Following a recent renovation, two pieces—Dream of the Young Girl and Dream of the Young Man—“were later considered sexist … and banished to the Bentley Historical Library on North Campus,” writes Bicknell.
Fredericks “was called America’s Public Sculptor,” says Karl, with works appearing in public spaces nationwide and beyond. In Southeast Michigan, most recognizably, stands The Spirit of Detroit sculpture in downtown Detroit and the Barbour Memorial Fountain on Belle Isle. In addition to the LSA Building, adds Karl, his local work includes the War Memorial Eagle at the U of M’s football stadium. Fredericks’s broader body of work can be explored at the Marshall M. Fredericks Sculpture Museum and archives in Saginaw.
We received twenty entries in April, with all but one correctly identifying Fredericks’s bas relief. Our randomly selected winner is Joan Penner-Hahn, who will enjoy her $25 gift certificate at Fourth Ave Footwear.
Use the I Spy image and hint below to identify the Ann Arbor location. Send your entries to [email protected].
Hint: Byway | Sally Bjork