Forever LSU Commemorative Art Piece Unveiled

October 18, 2007

(l. to r.) LSU Chancellor Sean O’Keefe, LSU Foundation President and CEO, Maj. Gen. William G. Bowdon, Former U.S. Congressman Henson Moore, Carolyn Moore, artist Timothy Richards and Ken Gikas of Lee Michaels Fine Jewelry at the unveiling of the Forever LSU sculpture.

Baton Rouge, LA – Internationally-renowned artist and model-maker Timothy Richards recently visited Louisiana State University to unveil a sculpture commemorating the spirit of the university’s “Forever LSU” campaign. The sculpture is a three-dimensional rendering of the famous campus corridor arches and LSU’s red tile-roofed buildings, covered in relief carvings depicting imagery and symbols of LSU tradition.

Each piece of Richards’ Forever LSU sculpture is made individually by hand, lined with dust from a brick from the original LSU campus in Pineville, LA. The models will be presented by LSU to prominent supporters of the Forever LSU campaign, in recognition of their generosity and leadership in the historic fundraising effort. Each piece is unique and handmade for the individual recipient. The work cannot be purchased and will not be sold.

Forever LSU Campaign Cabinet Chair, The Honorable Henson Moore, and his wife Carolyn, were the first recipients of the sculpture at a reception honoring the arts at LSU’s renowned Swine Palace Theater, where the piece was unveiled on Sept. 22.

“We are very happy to have this truly outstanding work of art to share with those who love and support LSU,” said LSU Foundation President and CEO, Maj. Gen. William Bowdon, “Mr. Richards has captured the LSU spirit in a way which is both unique and genuine. This is a piece that any supporter of LSU would be proud to display in any setting.”

Each Forever LSU sculpture is unique, hand-crafted and lined with brick dust from LSU’s original campus in Pineville, Louisiana.

In 2006, Forever LSU campaign officials contacted Lee Michaels Fine Jewelry Corporate Gift’s division to assist in creating an original work of art, intended to capture the LSU spirit. Lee Michaels Fine Jewelry’s financial support of charitable causes sets an example for other firms and organizations to follow. The company considers outstanding philanthropic service to be a civic responsibility and part of its commitment to thanking the communities in which it has stores.

A family owned and operated business, Lee Michaels Fine Jewelry has grown from a single store with seven employees in 1978, to a leader in the jewelry industry with eight stores in six states. Lee and Brenda Berg chose Baton Rouge as a great place to build a business and rear a family, and it proved to be a great decision for them and for Baton Rouge. As such, LMFJ was the perfect partner for such an important project. Lee Michaels hired Richards to envision and create the sculpture, which evokes the history and tradition of the LSU experience.

Richards, from Bath, UK, started his own architectural model-making business in 1988. His work has been presented twice to the Queen of England and his clients have included the Royal Ontario Museum, the University of Notre Dame and the National Gallery of Washington. Richards says his goal is to create, and leave behind him, a legacy of models that define and catalogue the pivotal buildings of architecture. LSU’s campus can now join his catalogue of works. For more information on the artist, visit www.timothyrichards.com.

World-class institutions like LSU need world-class arts and culture. Our goal is to raise $750 million by 2010. This is the most ambitious fundraising campaign in LSU’s history. Every Tiger Can Help! Please visit www.foreverlsu.org and take action today. Because now, more than ever, Forever depends on YOU.

Scott Madere is the Director of Public Relations for the LSU Foundation. For more information on this story, contact Scott at 225-578-3826 or e-mail him at smadere@lsufoundation.org.