‘The Sower’ Southern Utah Museum of Art’s first Stillman Sculpture Grove acquisition

Cast in bronze and created by Jane DeDecker, “The Sower” is Southern Utah Museum of Art’s first Stillman Sculpture Grove acquisition. It has found a temporary home on Southern Utah University’s upper campus. “The Sower” made its SUU debut on Oct. 15.

“‘The Sower’ is a beautiful representation of what we do,” said SUU President Scott Wyatt. “We plant seeds that lead to a wonderful harvest. In our case, a harvest of understanding, compassion, opportunities, and skills for a complex and global world.”

“The rough terrain or the heavy draping satchel holding his seed does not daunt him,” said DeDecker. “Instead, he moves gracefully forward with his eyes thoughtfully focused on the work ahead. The earth and the toiler are one furrowing-pushing with strength through the soil to lay down the seed, which renews the earth with life. The sculpture quietly reflect the attitude of a sower’s job. As he gives the earth its texture, carved and molded by his sensitive hands, the artist, too pushes with her hands in the earthen clay to give the sower his form, his purpose of being.”

Born in Marengo, Iowa, Jane DeDecker received her early training at the University of Northern Colorado in Greeley. She went on to study stone carving under Canadian sculptor Robert Game and bronze casting with Robert Zimmerman, foundry owner of Battle Mountain Bronze in Minturn, Colo. A former arts educator, DeDecker is now a self-employed artist and owner of The DeDecker Studio in Loveland, Colo. Her commissioned works are on display throughout the United States. For more information about Jane and her art, visit janededecker.com.

SUMA will feature approximately 5,300 square feet of exhibition space composed of five different spaces: the Braithwaite Gallery, the Rocki Alice Gallery, the Austin and Magda Jones Gallery, the Grace Adams Tanner Gallery, and the Jim Jones Gallery, which showcases work by the renowned Utah artist who inspired the museum. SUMA will exhibit international and regional art as well as that by SUU art and design students and faculty. The museum will have dedicated space for collection storage, conservation, and research. The building design will allow visitors to witness the behind-the-scenes operations in the Maud Trismen Mason Collection and Conservation Studio. The Beverley Taylor Sorenson Education Suite includes classroom space for hands-on educational activities for K-12 school groups, and workspace for the SUU graduate and undergraduate students who will operate the museum.

To donate to SUMA, visit suu.edu/ad/advancement/giving.html, fill in your name, then check “other” below and insert “SUPROG” in the box (meaning SUMA programming), then continue the process and make your gift. For questions about giving to SUMA, please call (435) 586-7775 or email giving@suu.edu.