Two uniquely interactive sculptures have been installed next to Woolsey Hall, the home of the W. Frank Barton School of Business at Wichita State University, as part of the Ulrich Museum of Art’s world-class Martin H. Bush Outdoor Sculpture Collection. Ernest and Ruth (2015) is a public sculpture that doubles as a bench and has the unmistakable shape of a speech bubble. Two of these sculptures are located slightly off the main traffic area leading up to Woolsey Hall to encourage interaction.

“The exchange of ideas and learning through dialogue and challenge are essential,” said Dr. Larisa Genin, dean of the Barton School of Business. “Nowhere is it more important than at the Barton School. These sculptures aren’t just a representation of conversation, they are actually a place where important discussion can occur.”

Ernest and Ruth was created by the artist Hank Willis Thomas. Many of Thomas’ playfully conceptual works co-opt ubiquitous pop culture symbols to inspire deeper reflection on society’s norms and beliefs.

Thomas’ art is the first work by an African American artist in the Ulrich Museum’s Martin H. Bush Outdoor Sculpture Collection. It is not, however, his first work represented in the Ulrich collection. Thomas’ 2009 series of 20 paintings titled I Am a Man is a key work that the museum recently lent to the artist’s large-scale traveling mid-career retrospective.

“Hank Willis Thomas’s sculptures are the perfect fit for our WSU campus,” said Vivian Zavataro, Executive and Creative Director of the Ulrich Museum of Art. “They serve as a playful celebration of expressing individuality through free speech.”

Ernest and Ruth continues Ulrich’s vision that public sculpture should be physically accessible and interactive, which can be seen in several other sculptures in the OSC, including Scott Burton’s Münster Benches, A Pair (1986), Elyn Zimmerman’s Font (1993), and Jesús Moroles’ expansive 1995 sculptural installation in front of the museum. Wichita State has acquired a total of three editions of Ernest and Ruth, and the additional sculpture has been installed in front of the Ulrich Museum of Art.

“Creating an immersive campus where students don’t just listen to lectures but interact and learn is pivotal,” said Dr. Richard Muma, president of Wichita State University. “The Barton School is a premier example of that applied learning culture. Two editions of the Ernest and Ruth sculpture outside of Woolsey Hall will only continue to further those important opportunities for growth.”

Located in Kansas’ business hub and with significant ties to the business community, the W. Frank Barton School of Business provides extensive applied learning opportunities. With in-person and online options, Barton School undergraduate and graduate programs are tailored to transform the lives of its students. It also holds a double AACSB accreditation for business and accounting, which puts it in the top 1% of business schools worldwide. The Barton School was established as the university’s College of Business Administration and Industry in 1926 and has thousands of graduates around the world.

The Edwin A. Ulrich Museum of Art is the university art museum of Wichita State University. Open since 1974, it holds a nationally significant collection of approximately 6,700 works of modern and contemporary art that span the 20th and 21st centuries and include the nationally recognized Martin H. Bush Outdoor Sculpture Collection. The Ulrich is a vital community resource that supports intellectual inquiry, teaching, and lifelong learning on the WSU campus and in the community.