Saint John’s University, Collegeville, Minnesota is proud to announce the gift of a major new artwork being added to the permanent university art collection. Berg XIX, by renowned sculptor Tom Joyce, will become the newest addition to the growing collection of sculptural works being installed in the Jon Hassler Sculpture Garden on the SJU campus.
An Oklahoman by birth, artist Tom Joyce, divides his time between his studios in New Mexico and Belgium. Tom is a sculptor, originally trained as a blacksmith, and is now widely acknowledged as one of the foremost practitioners in the field for his ongoing contributions to the art and science of forging iron. His large-scale works are found in collections around the country including the Smithsonian Renwick Gallery, Washington, DC; Phoenix Art Museum; Minneapolis Institute of Art; Museum of Art and Design, New York; Boston Museum of Fine Art; and the National September 11 Memorial Museum, New York, to name a few.
Berg XIX was forged from a seven-ton piece of high-carbon steel, heated to 2,500° F before cutting, twisting, and squeezing under 5,500-tons of pressure almost to the breaking point. The result is a 14,000 lb. mass of folds, crevasses, and gentle curves that contradict the cold, hard steel from the Minnesota Mesabi Iron Range from which it was mined. Beginning as a byproduct of an industrial component rescued from a factory near Chicago, Berg XIX refers to the tip of a complex origin story. As iron is rarely thrown away, the sculpture invites us to ponder the stories and rich histories consumed within its molecules from repeated smelting into new and innumerable forms.
Thanks to the generosity of the artist and John (SJU Class of 1963) and Lois Rogers, Berg XIX will be installed on the campus on the morning of August 21, 2024. A massive industrial crane will lift the 7-ton work of art from its cargo transport onto its plinth under the direction and guidance of the artist. The work will begin at 10 a.m. that morning, and guests wishing to watch the installation may do so from the upper campus overlooks near the Learning Commons and Peter Engel Science Center. A brief dedication event will take place at the sculpture site at 2 p.m. that afternoon and will feature remarks from CSB and SJU President Brian Bruess and the donors. Artist Tom Joyce will follow with comments about his process and the work itself. All are free and open to the public.
To learn more about the work of Tom Joyce visit www.tomjoycestudio.com
To view a video showing the forging of Berg, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9hdNaWsgQtc