yeah FIU's got its problems but ive grown to love this place in my 4 years here. i wouldnt change my choice after high school even if i ahd the chance.

UPDATE:

 

Looks like it has finally happened. Over a dozen sculptures were removed yesterday including the four statues that were sitting on the couches in GC by the entrance.

 

 

Here's the news story:

 

It seemed the perfect crime: over a dozen of sculptures worth millions of dollars disappeared overnight from University Park. While yellow tape marked the space where Michael Heizer's Elevated, Surface and Depressed sculpture of three volcanic rocks used to lay next to the Green Library, other works such as George Segal's Three People on Four Benches sculpture of three white figures in the Graham Center seemed to have vanished leaving behind no signs of ever even being there.

 

The 19 sculptures and installations removed last week from UP are part of the Margulies Z. Collection loaned to FIU more than a decade ago. Some of these sculptures had become landmarks of FIU and the Frost Art Museum usually carried tours of the sculpture park for visitors and school groups.

 

Although by the time of publication the University had issued no official statement about the removal of the sculptures, Maydel Santana-Bravo, director of FIU's media relations, said in an interview that Margulies decided it was time to take the sculptures to a different location and give them more exposure after loaning them to FIU for more than 10 years.

 

"I don't know how long this has been in discussion, but sculptures of this value don't get carried out overnight," Santana-Bravo said.

 

Marta De La Torre, interim director for the FIU's Frost Art Museum, said that the museum was notified a few weeks ago that approximately 18 sculptures would be removed.

 

"Mr. Margulies did not give a reason for ending his loan and we do not speculate as to his motivations," De La Torres said in an email.

 

According to Katherine Hinds, curator of the Margulies Z. Collection, Margulies had been considering recovering some of the sculptures sometime this summer.

 

"We had a great experience at FIU and after other universities showed interest in having some of the sculptures, we decided to relocate them after more than a decade [of having them there]," Hinds said.

 

According to Hinds, the FIU's sculpture park was the third largest university collection after University of California and University of Pennsylvania.

 

The sculptures will be relocated at different universities including University of Miami, University of Florida and Miami-Dade College.

 

Among the sculptures being relocated is Eight Unit Cube, a white aluminum cube by conceptual artist Sol LeWitt, which stood between GC and Primera Casa. Another one is Charles Ginnever's Hangover welded metal sculpture behind GL, which will go to MDC's Kendall campus.

 

Other sculptures will go back to Margulies' warehouse in Wynwood in preparation for an exhibition which will open in September titled Sculpture: 1940 throu the Present.

 

While some art students suggested Margulies was taking the sculptures because FIU did not provide proper maintenance to the sculptures, Hinds denied this.

 

"Sculptures are in good condition by all standards. All maintenance specifications for the loan were met at its highest level," she said.

 

FIU's Faculty Senate Chair Bruce Hauptli, who plans to brief the senate about the relocation of the sculptures during the Steering Committee meeting this week, said that he has been hearing the rumors, including that Margulies had some concerns regarding the amount of publicity and recognition accorded to the sculpture park. However, he said there is not much substance supporting them.

 

"The items belonging to Mr. Margulies are on loan to the University?€?.he is free to reassign these pieces to other location at any point," Hauptli said in an email. "The reassigned pieces will be missed, but we should be appreciative of his willingness to share elements of his collection with us.

 

"The sculptures are invaluable. Without them, the university is just a bunch of buildings," said Associate Art Professor Pip Brant.

 

According to Hinds, it's hard to know whether the sculptures will ever return to FIU, adding that the best thing about being involved in the art world is that you don't have answers about the future.

 

She did reassure, however, that the popular Tony Rosenthal Marty's Cube, which students traditionally rotate for good luck, will stay at FIU.

This really sucks. I never knew they were on loan.

That makes me sad. I hope they replace them with something.

 

At least the cube is staying.

I heard that Madique *sp had a falling out with the artist and the artist decided to take back most of his collection on campus and donate them to other schools. Madique is not a very well liked guy throughout the administration and has many enemies.

 

Atleast the cube is staying. Walking around the campus is gonna seem a little odd at first.

 

Its funny how my opinion has changed since ripping this school a little over a year ago.

It really is sad, hopefully they can get someone else to donate or loan sculptures. It really gave the campus a nice look.

I had heard about the sculptures being removed. When I was at GC the other day, I noticed the sculptures of the bench people were gone. At least the cube is staying.

Is 'Man' still there?