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A spirit that is not afraid

Students will be able to make their voices heard on 8-foot-by-16-foot 'American Expressions' sculpture

On Wednesday, Oct. 3 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Birmingham, Alabama, native Ira Hill will be presenting his sculpture of the American Flag on campus. This sculpture was on display at the Jule Collins Smith Museum of Fine Arts for one year, and it will being making its final stop on the Haley Concourse before heading to its next location. 

Hill, was a student at the University of Alabama where he received his bachelor's degree in sculpture. He later got his master's degree in fine arts from Florida State University, and to this day has continued in creative production in order to emphasize his belief that life is creativity. 

Hill has also won several awards throughout his career. Some of the more recent include the Artist Fellowship from Salem Art Works in Salem, New York, and becoming a NICHE Award Finalist from the NICHE Magazine in Baltimore, Maryland. 

Designing art with a political sentiment was not a new concept for Hill. Others works he has designed includes references to environmental issues, specifically pertaining to water, various current political issues and 3D graffiti proliferation. 

The sculpture, American Expressions, is an 8-foot-by-16-foot steel sculpture that represents a political awakening. It has been touring around the United States since the 2016 presidential election cycle, and people have been allowed to write on it since then in order to document their encounters. Whenever the flag moves to a new location, it is repainted in order to absorb the old words and make room for the new voices. 

Auburn students will have their chance to make their mark on this sculpture when it makes its stop on campus. Viewers of the sculpture are encouraged to write whatever they’re inspired to, whether that be to share their stories or simply speak their mind.

The concept behind doing this is for students to not only engage with their fellow classmates, but also be connected to everyone who has written on it before. 


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