Last week’s Sculpture Vulture looked at the state of St. John the Baptist on the St. John Catholic Center campus.  Today’s looks at three other statues on the ground.  Though there are other sculptures and icons inside worship spaces on the grounds of St. John’s, these are outdoors and are therefore more properly discussed as public art rather than solely as religious iconography.

Near the campus entrance is a statue of the Virgin Mary with her hands clasped as if in prayer.  Behind her are radiating beams of light. At the base of the statue is a cherub who is actually supporting the pedestal on which she stands.  Another cherub is off to the side. It is possible that there is a missing cherub who was originally on the other size to balance out the statue.

There is another statue of Mary on the campus.  In August 1988 a statue was dedicated in honor of the Marian Year which ran from June 1987 through August 1988.  It was donated by the Bishop and priests of the Diocese of Little Rock and dedicated by Most Rev. Andrew J. McDonald, who was Bishop at the time.  It depicts Mary with her arms at her sides and hands open and outstretched.

The other statue is that of Christ as an adult. It is located near the Marian Year statue.  Given in memory of Barbara Anderson, it features Christ with one hand outstretched and the other hand pointing to his heart.