The Hub Trio

Bruce Niemi, P. M. Goulding, Dean Jackson Meeker

Interim IX, by Bruce Niemi of Kenosha, is a piece of stainless steel inspired by his faith in God, the power and beauty of nature, and the energy and balance of dance. The stainless steel seems to dance in place as it reaches towards the heavens, creating the illusion of movement. He learned how to weld in the studio of his father. Niemi graduated from Northern Illinois University in 1981 with a BFA in sculpture. “Interim IX” was a gift of Terry A. Hueneke in 1999.

Column, by P. M. Goulding, a native of Wisconsin, constructed of piled repurposed millstones, it is reminiscent of past businesses in the West Bend area that used gristmills for turning grain into flour. Coincidentally, the name of West Bend’s large scholarship fund for graduating high school seniors is “Columns,” another important building block for the community. Goulding’s work symbolically looks back into history and forward to our future. Goulding’s stones were sliced and then piled in an offset pattern. In 1996, “Column” became the first work purchased from the “Sculpture Showcase,” a series of loaned pieces of art for display in West Bend. The donors were anonymous.

Twisted Column, by Dean Jackson Meeker, is a work of stainless steel. Deceased in 2002, Meeker was an internationally known printmaker, sculptor and professor at the University of Wisconsin. He earned a BFA in painting from the Art Institute of Chicago in 1945 and received his MFA from Northwestern University in 1947.

The Hub / The Volunteer Center of Washington Co, just off the Eisenbahn Trail, is proud to be the home of the trio

Left to right, top to bottom