A sculpture by Doug Gruizenga has been added to the collection at the Art Museum of West Virginia University.

“Yesterday Today and Tomorrow” now sits in the Nath Sculpture Garden after being seen in major exhibitions such as the Chicago Sculpture Exhibit and ArtPrize in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

“The artist has created a sculpture full of implied motion, from the circular tripod legs emulating rotating mining drill bits to the brushed aluminum surface catching and reflecting sunlight,” said Museum Curator Robert Bridges. “It was placed in the Nath Sculpture Garden to be visible along the route to WVU’s Mineral Resources building as a way to stimulate conversations between engineering and the visual arts.” 

The acquisition of the sculpture was made possible through the Myers Foundations Purchase Funds.

Gruizenga grew up in Portage, Michigan with the goal of becoming an automotive engineer. After his first semester at Western Michigan University, Gruizenga transferred to the Art Department where he earned a BA in art education and an MA in sculpture and furniture design. 

“To earn a living I worked as a psychiatric social worker. In 2003 I began to focus, again, on sculpture,” Gruizenga said. “In 2005, I moved to Interlochen. The inspiration afforded me by the students there keeps my creative juices flowing. I am fortunate to have had outdoor sculptures exhibited on loan or purchased in about 150 venues in Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Ohio, West Virginia, Tennessee, Georgia, Alabama, Virginia, and Florida."

The Nath Sculpture Garden comprises nearly three acres surrounding the Art Museum of WVU and brings sculptures by American and international artists into conversation with native plants and trees.

Named for its donors, professors Joginder (1932–2016) and Charlotte Nath, the sculpture garden “emphasizes nature and art in a space people will find appealing and attractive—a place they will want to spend time,” as Joginder expressed it. “It extends the museum setting to the outdoors for art to be appreciated and enjoyed by many and for students and faculty to learn and grow.”

For more information on the Art Museum of WVU, visit artmuseum.wvu.edu.

Douglas Gruizenga (b. 1947)
"Yesterday Today and Tomorrow," 2011
Welded aluminum
Myers Foundations Purchase Funds