We are honored to celebrate Bill Harris, master potter and former chief of the Catawba Nation. This past Sunday, Harris received an honorary doctorate from Davidson College at commencement in recognition of his many accomplishments.

Harris has served the Catawba Nation tirelessly and with good humor for decades, has enabled its flourishing in its ancestral homelands, has mastered the art of pottery developed by his ancestors and is teaching the next generation of Catawba potters, and has innovated to create breathtaking pieces that delight, inspire and embody the resilience of Catawba culture today. Harris also has supported the college’s We Know Corn Together collaboration with the Catawba Nation, including the rematriation of Catawba’s ancestral kus (corn).

To mark this moment, the Van Every/Smith Galleries has acquired a stunning effigy bowl made by Harris for our permanent art collection.

Congratulations to Harris, and, thank you, for serving as a role model for our students of excellence in public service and the arts. ...

Each day, Davidson students, professors, staff, and community members can count on the presence of sculpture as they traverse campus.⭐️ Celebrated annually on the last Saturday in April, International Sculpture Day promotes the enjoyment and appreciation of sculptures globally. In recognition of the 9th annual #ISDay, in her recent blog post, intern Heidi McGannon highlights a few sculptures which make up the Campus Sculpture Collection. Specifically, she discusses works created by recipients of the Lifetime Achievement Award in Sculpture: Plensa, Abakanowicz, Pepper, Surls, and Shapiro, and Tucker. First implemented in 1991, the International Sculpture Center’s Board of Trustees annually recognizes outstanding individual artists whose work embodies technical mastery and deep devotion to advancing the field of sculpture. Though the award is only a few decades old, the Campus Sculpture Collection represents the work of six artists who have received this prestigious honor. ⭐️Full post at the link in our bio! ⭐️ Artworks: Jaime Plensa, “Waves III,” 2012, stainless steel and stone, 98.5 x 75.5 x 131.5 inches, Gift of James G. Pepper ‘65; ⭐️ Magdalena Abakanowicz, “Group of Ten,” 2011, Bronze, 63.5 x 74 x 96 inches, Gift or the artist, and and Pat Rodgers, Linda and George Kelly, parents of Win Kelly ‘02 and Madeline Kelly ‘0, Katherine Belk-Cook, and Virginia Newell ‘78; ⭐️ Beverly Pepper, Untitled (Wedge), 1980, steel, 26.25 x 11.25 x 7 inches, Gift of James G. Pepper ‘65; ⭐️Joel Shapiro, Untitled, 1995, Bronze, 75 x 71 x 41 inches, Gift of the Artist and Katherine Belk; ⭐️ James Surls, “Walking See Flower,” 2001, painted steel, 156 x 156 x 48 inches, Gift of John Andrew MacMahon ‘95; ⭐️ William Tucker, “Homage to Rodin,” 1999, Bronze, 45 x 40 x 36 inches, Gifr of the Class of 1993.⭐️ ...