The installation of the Tom Otterness group sculpture "Makin' Hay" will be publicly unveiled on Wichita State University's Innovation Campus from 11 a.m.-noon Thursday, Aug. 27, at the intersection of Mike Oatman Drive and Perimeter Road. "Makin' Hay" is on loan to the Ulrich Museum of Art from the Alturas Foundation and will be at WSU through the summer of 2017.

“Makin’ Hay” features three sculptures, each about 15 feet tall and made of hay and steel. Originally created in 2002, “Makin’ Hay” is a well-traveled installation, with previous appearances at Stanford University and most recently at Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville, Ark.

“As WSU begins the development of the Innovation Campus, “Makin’ Hay” appropriately references all Shockers who are committed to Wichita State University becoming the Innovation University,” said Bob Workman, director of the Ulrich Museum.

After being disassembled in Bentonville, the sculptures arrived at WSU on Aug. 7. A team from San Antonio with experience working on the sculptures for the Alturas Foundation, as well as Ulrich staff and students from the WSU School of Art, Design and Creative Industries, began installation the following day.

“It was great to see the work of such a renowned artist come to life with our help,” said Carl Palmer, Ulrich intern and art history major at WSU. “Meeting Tom Otterness was a highlight of the experience, and I enjoy the opportunities the Ulrich Museum and School of Art, Design and Creative Industries gives me to be involved and get my hands dirty.”

Tom Otterness’ “Millipede,” 2008, situated in front of the Ulrich Museum of Art, is the subject of hundreds of photographs and a hit with thousands of visitors who tour WSU’s Martin H. Bush Outdoor Sculpture Collection each year.

Although he is now an internationally recognized artist, Otterness is a native of Wichita. He attended Wichita High School Southeast High School before moving to New York City, where he attended the Art Students League. Otterness possesses the unique ability to create artwork that appeals not just to critics but to everyone.