Statue of Our Lady
By Hillis Arnold
Category: Statue
About
The highly stylized, 8-foot-high sculpture was commissioned for the religious school under the supervision of the architect who designed a new, modern building for the campus. The school paper forewarned students that the sculpture would be “in the modern design” and reminded them that “the artist is not always a photographer” and that “art must reflect the time in which it is made.”
Dimensions: 8’3
Year Completed: 1952
Material: Concrete
Owner: Fontbonne College
Donor: Sodality of Our Lady
About the artist:
Hillis Arnold
Artist Bio: 1906-1988
Born in Rural Beach, ND in 1906, Arnold lost his hearing at the age of six months due to spinal meningitis. In 1933, Arnold attended the University of Minnesota, winning the Keppel Prize for sculpture. He graduated with a degree in architecture. In 1938, he began teaching sculpture and ceramics at Monticello College (now Lewis and Clark Community College) in Godfrey, IL, where he remained for 34 years. He had exhibits throughout the U.S. and participated in many national competitions. He was renowned for his work in religious and symbolic subject matter, and contributed sculptures to many churches and civic buildings in the Midwest. His work in St. Louis includes the World War II Memorial Court of Honor; Holy Cross Lutheran School for the Deaf; the St. Louis Abbey; and Resurrection Church. He was elected a Live Fellow of the International Institute of Arts and Letters. Arnold Died in 1988.
