“Christ the Teacher,” an ever-changing part of the University

         “Christ the Teacher” was created with a simple yet important ideal in mind.

         "Whatever happens on campus, Jesus should be a part of it,” Darlene Miller-Lanning, Ph.D., director of The Hope Horn Gallery, said.

         Miller-Lanning said “Christ the Teacher,” located outside the Weinberg Memorial Library, is an example of interactive art – that is art that involves spectators as well as the structure itself. Whether it is students studying, children climbing or someone simply taking a moment to sit on its extended stone base, the sculpture and its message constantly evolve.

         “It changes everyday,” Miller-Lanning said. “People interact with it in different ways. The audience and the artwork join to become one.”

         Just as varied as the ways people interact with the sculpture are the ways they interpret it. Miller-Lanning said she has heard many variations, ranging from it being about the Resurrection of Christ to thoughts about the woman, who some believe is Mary, sitting next to Jesus.

         “Christ the Teacher,” was designed by Trevor Southey, who also created the paintings located in the Weinberg Memorial Library’s Heritage Room.

         More stories about the meaning behind “Christ the Teacher” and other sculptures on campus will be presented during walking tours scheduled for Wednesday, April 17 at 6 p.m., and Sunday, April 28, at noon. The tours are in conjunction with the “Imagination and Spirituality: Public Sculpture on The University of Scranton Commons” exhibit, running through Friday, May 10, at the Hope Horn Gallery.

         For additional information, contact The Hope Horn Gallery at 941-4214.