A recently commissioned memorial sculpture will honor eight Utah State University agriculture students and their professor who died in a van accident in 2005. USU alumnus Mark DeGraffenried was chosen to be the sculptor for nine bronze panels that signify the agricultural interest of each of the deceased men.

Once completed, the 7-foot by 20-foot black granite, bronze and steel memorial will be on temporary display in the USU Taggart Student Center. When the new College of Agriculture research and teaching building is complete, the memorial will be permanently located in the building’s foyer. The memorial, which will weigh approximately 2,500 pounds, is expected to be completed in the fall of 2008.

“As a resident of Cache Valley and USU graduate, it is a great honor to sculpt this monument,” said DeGraffenried. “I hope those affected by this loss will receive comfort and inspiration from this memorial.”

In unusual fashion, DeGraffenried will have an open studio for the project, where family members of the nine men, USU students, faculty and community members are invited to stop in and observe. His studio is in the Chase Fine Arts Center, Visual Fine Arts Wing, sculpture lab room SL-103. His sculpting hours will be posted on the door.

“I spent a great deal of time as a student in this very lab,” he said. “Because USU students provided the initial request for the memorial, I welcome having an open studio that is accessible to them.”

DeGraffenried said he will work in the USU lab on the casts for the bronze panels throughout June, and he hopes visitors will stop by to visit and to participate in the creative process by offering feedback about both the sculpture and about the students and professor it will honor.

“I see this special project not only as a memorial to the people it remembers, but also as a tribute to all the hard work that goes into agriculture,” he said.

Noelle E. Cockett, vice president and dean for USU Extension and agriculture, agreed and said the sculpture will be a timeless memorial that will be the first thing visitors see when they enter the new agricultural building. The project will cost approximately $120,000. Cockett said financial support for the project was widespread and generous, including alumni and friends, the Utah Farm Bureau, USU student government, USU Student Services, departments in the College of Agriculture, the Agriculture Experiment Station and others.

“We are pleased to recognize these students and their professor who were such vital parts of our college,” she said. “In the end, this monument will be an incredibly fitting part of our new agriculture building.”

Bruce Miller, USU Agricultural Systems Technology and Education department head, is chairman of the committee directing the project. After a lengthy review process of several candidates, Monument Arts of Sandy, Utah, was awarded the commission to design and construct the memorial. They chose DeGraffenried to sculpt the bronze portions of the design.

Writer: Julene Reese, 435-797-0810
Contact: Bruce Miller, 435-797-2232