At George Mason University’s Fairfax campus, students, faculty, and community members pass by statues, sculptures, and murals every day that could rival those found in any art museum. So the next time you’re looking for a dose of art and history, take a trip to the public campus and check out these notable works.
Wilkins Plaza
At the heart of the campus is Wilkins Plaza, where you’ll find a statue of the school’s namesake. It was unveiled in 1996 and stands as an icon of the university and a popular spot for photos. The bronze statue stands 10 feet tall and depicts George Mason presenting his draft of the Virginia Declaration of Rights, which influenced the U.S. Constitution’s Bill of Rights. It also depicts books by John Locke, David Hume, and Jean-Jacques Rousseau set on a table, representing Mason’s different philosophical influences.
Just behind that statue, a newer installation memorializes two of the more than 100 people who were enslaved at George Mason’s Gunston Hall plantation in Mason Neck. This installation was part of the Enslaved People of George Mason Project. It was added to the plaza during the Core Campus Project, completed in 2022, that revamped Wilkins Plaza and added the new Horizon Hall.
“We grow wiser from examining our full truths, no matter how complicated or messy or discomforting they might be,” said GMU President Gregory Washington at the memorial’s dedication.
These works depict silhouetted figures of two enslaved people: James, who was Mason’s personal assistant, and Penny, a young girl whom Mason gifted to his daughter. Between the two is a fountain with flowing water, lined with a pattern of stones. It represents a ritual site at Gunston Hall that “fostered the spiritual and cultural strength of an African-descended community,” while the water represents “currents of separation and belonging,” a plaque by the fountain reads.
Steps away from the plaza is a meditation garden and a labyrinth, another addition from the Core Campus Project renovations. Here, a flower-lined sidewalk follows a winding path in concentric circles, slowly rising until it reaches an elevated platform at the center with a sandstone boulder. The garden was intended to serve as a place for meditation and contemplation for the Mason community, giving people a quiet space to sit while surrounded by nature. In the spirit of relaxation, a statue of a woman reclining in a hammock, book in hand, by artist Azriel Awret can also be found in the garden.
Mason Pond and Center for the Arts
GMU’s Center for the Arts features a variety of music, dance, and theatrical performances throughout the year. But there’s plenty to see right outside the building, too.
When approaching the performing arts building, you may find yourself on a little wooded path by the pond. Here, you’ll spot what seems to be a miniature house, complete with a patio, a peaked roof, and windows with shutters — but only about the size of one small room in its entirety. Cross Cottage, as it’s called, was created by Cross Builders to represent the contributions of many groups in the area’s building industry. It was auctioned at GMU’s 1988 arts gala, and donors later gave it to the university. The benches surrounding the little house provide a serene, shaded spot to sit and gaze out over the pond.
Continue down that path, and on the side, you’ll see a towering statue of Chinese philosopher Confucius, which was presented to the university in 2008 by The Confucian Academy of Hong Kong, China.
Also in that area, snap a picture of Antecedent by Lila Katzen, a 6-foot-tall, 25-foot-long abstract work that was made in 1975. It’s been on loan to the university from the National Gallery of Art since 1983, and it now overlooks the pond. It’s surrounded by cherry trees, so it’s a lovely spot to visit in the spring when the trees are in bloom.
Student Spaces
Throughout the Mason campus, murals and paintings adorn everyday spaces. Take, for example, the bridge between the Southside dining hall and the Skyline Fitness Center, where a mural of three smiling faces greets students. This work is titled Full Bellied Laughter, and it was installed by artist Imani Shanklin Roberts in 2018.
Visitors to the Corner Pocket, an on-campus student game room, will also be greeted with a mural. This piece is a vibrant work done in a style that mirrors video games; it was completed by student
Alecsis (Lecsi) Pillar in the spring of 2022. More murals can be found throughout campus, like the spiritual Aricama Portal by artist MARICAMA behind the Art & Design building, or a piece dedicated to the College of Visual and Performing Arts, designed by student Raquel Bumgarner and installed in College Hall.
Even functional details have an artistic flair, like the colorful rows of benches outside the Student Union Building that student organizations paint every year. It’s a way for those groups to express themselves and take part in a longstanding campus tradition, and visitors walking by can get a creative peek into student life at GMU.
Galleries
Want a more traditional art-viewing experience? GMU has several public art galleries on its campus displaying works from professionals and student artists alike.
The Gillespie Gallery of Art is the largest, and it’s located in the Art & Design Building. From August to May, it features exhibitions from local, national, and international artists as well as student exhibitions. Check the Gillespie Gallery website for details about specific exhibits and planned artist talks and workshops.
Additional works are on display at The Buchanan Hall Atrium Gallery in Buchanan Hall and the Fenwick Gallery on the first floor of the Fenwick Library.
Feature image by Evan Cantwell courtesy the Office of University Branding
This story originally ran in our September issue. For more stories like this, subscribe to Northern Virginia Magazine.
