In the midst of constant rainfall and the threat of thunderstorms, hundreds of UW-Madison alumni, students and community members crowded Library Mall Friday to celebrate the opening of a new park honoring alumni and their achievements.
Alumni Park, described by its staff as “the new campus landmark,” is a 1.3-acre park located between Memorial Union and the Red Gym. The park features over 50 exhibits that highlight the achievements and innovations of nearly 200 UW-Madison alumni.
According to an estimate from President Emerita of the Wisconsin Alumni Association Paula Bonner, approximately 1,000 people attended the grand opening. Bonner said the park is important because it not only honors alumni, but also brings students, faculty and alumni together in one part of campus.
“This park tells the story of graduates, and I hope that is inspiring to other students and future students and that it brings students and alumni closer together,” Bonner said. “I want the world to come through this park so they can see the exhibits, hear these stories and hear the voices of alumni from many different generations who have gone on to do so many incredible things around this world.”
Alumni Park’s website offers a digital experience of the park where alumni can write about influential alumni they think should be recognized, according to Bonner.
“[The digital experience] is a great place for you to put up a tribute to somebody you think should be in the park,” Bonner said. “It is a place where you can tell the stories of yourself or other alumni and the difference they are making around the world.”
Chancellor Rebecca Blank thanked the alumni, community members and Alumni Park staff for helping to create the space, saying their “passion for this university is going to be reflected in every square inch of this park.”
“To build a monument to discovery and knowledge is no small task,” Blank said. “But to bring that monument to life, to make it a sanctuary for reflection and renewal at the heart of a busy urban campus — that is a true accomplishment.”
Attendees of the park’s opening also viewed a new statue at the edge of Lake Mendota. “Well Red” is an eight-foot tall Bucky Badger — made out of bronze, stained glass and stainless steel — sitting on a stack of books with his elbow on his knee and his fist on his cheek as he looks out over the lake.
Created by Douwe Blumberg, the sculptor who designed “America’s Response Monument” at One World Trade Center in New York, the statue represents a different Bucky than one football fanatics would think of. Blumberg said he decided to create a Bucky sitting “pensively” on a stack of books to represent the university as a whole, not just its sports teams.
“[The sports scene] is only such a small segment of the university,” Blumberg said. “I was thinking, why do we send our kids to the university? It is to learn. This idea of books represents knowledge.”
Blumberg said that unlike most art, he wanted “Well Red” to be interactive. He said he wanted to break the “barrier between the viewer and art.”
“This piece is very intentionally designed for interaction,” Blumberg said. “I did not want it to be out of reach. I wanted people to be able to sit on [Bucky’s] knee, stand on the books and interact with him.”
Blumberg hopes the statue will eventually become a popular destination for students and alumni.
“I want Bucky to become the place where you get your picture taken when you graduate,” Blumberg said. “I want it to be very friendly and welcoming.”
Alumni Park is offering free events to the public on Saturday and Sunday.
