Miami-based artist Vito Di Bari's sculpture 'In Our Hands' stands in front of the Stephenson Pet Clinic on Skip Bertman Drive.
A day doesn't pass without someone posting a comment or tagging the LSU Vet Med's Facebook page with a photo of their fur baby in front of the school's new powdered steel sculpture.
"Look," communications and artist-in-residence manager Sandra Sarr said while opening the veterinary school's Facebook page. "Here's one, and here's another."
She keeps scrolling.
"And if they don't have a photo, they have a story to tell about what this sculpture means to them," she continued.
She's right. Miami-based artist Vito Di Bari's sculpture of a golden dog, cat and bird cradled in a pair of purple hands has resonated not only among the Vet Med's animal patients and their people since its arrival in July but also the school's faculty, staff and students.
The LSU-themed premise is simple: This where the wellbeing of pets and their people are top priority.
And it is.
Sandra Sarr, left, LSU Vet Med communications manager and artist-in-residence manager, and Dean Oliver Garden stand in front of the sculpture, 'In Our Hands,' at the Stephenson Pet Clinic.
The school's dean, Oliver Garden, emphasizes this point each time he speaks of the LSU School of Veterinary Medicine, how its mission aims to protect and improve the lives of people and animals through research, education and care.
Garden points out that the sculpture, titled "In Our Hands," is in clear view from the windows of the vet school's teaching hospital, Stephenson Pet Clinic. The 16-foot-tall by 18-foot-wide sculpture serves as both inspiration and a reminder of the important work done by those working inside the building.
Miami-based artist Vito Di Bari's sculpture, 'In Our Hands,' was fabricated in Texas and transported by a trailer on U.S. Interstate 10 to the LSU School of Veterinary Medicine.
And Sarr scrolls through the Facebook comments, which show the gratitude and appreciation of the people whose pets have been treated by the clinic.
Though the sculpture made its debut in the summer after an interstate ride by way of truck and trailer from its fabrication point in Texas, its official dedication ceremony won't take place until 4 p.m. Sept. 18 at the base of the piece.
Di Bari will be there to talk about the work, after which the LSU A Cappella Choir, under the direction of Alissa Rowe, will perform.
"This celebration is for everyone," Garden said.
"For decades, the Baton Rouge community has placed their beloved animals in our hands and entrusted us with their care."
Which is exactly what Di Vito, in his artist's statement, sought to represent: "The two hands depicted in the sculpture represent LSU School of Veterinary Medicine’s dedication to improving and safeguarding the lives of animals and humans through outstanding education, groundbreaking research, and compassionate care."
Miami-based aritist Vito Di Bari designed the powdered steel sculpture, 'In Our Hands,' which now stands in front of LSU Vet Med's Stephenson Pet Clinic.
"Our aim is for this piece to become a landmark that honors and represents the School of Veterinary Medicine, its mission, and its community," he said.
"In Our Hands" was made possible by the Louisiana Percent for Art program, which stipulates that when $2 million of state funds is spent on the construction or renovation of a state building, 1% of that money will be spent on the acquisition, conservation, restoration and installation of works of art for display in or on the building's grounds.
The multi-million dollar construction on the Stephenson Pet Clinic in 2021. The 40,000-square-foot facility was named for LSU supporters Emmet and Toni Stephenson and opened its doors on Skip Bertman Drive in 2022.
Meanwhile, Sarr formed and chaired an Arts Matters Advisory Group, compiled of representatives of LSU and the vet school, along with local art and architecture experts.
The LSU Vet Med Emergency and Critical Care team poses in front of the 'In Our Hands' sculpture with Roux, a young lab, who was brought to the school's emergency service after ingesting antifreeze. Roux stayed in critical care for two days and made a full recovery, with the team posing with him at the sculpture as a tribute to the service provided to him.
"We received hundreds of applicants worldwide," Sarr said. "We narrowed it down to 55, and from there, we narrowed it down to 10. From there, we chose three artists to invite to campus."
The artists were given a tour of the school and a chance to discuss the school's mission with Garden.
"They heard a lot of information and got a sense of who we are," Sarr said. "They got a sense of the site, and then they came back after a couple of months made a presentation of what their concept was."
The sculpture by Vito Di Bari was chosen by the state's Percent for Art committee convened by Scott Finch, because it checked all the boxes and conveyed the sentiment of the Vet Med's mission.
Which was only natural for Di Bari, who is renowned for creating metaphorical, site-specific artworks with a mission to offer memorable experiences for viewers. His "In Our Hands" not only stands as a tribute to the Vet Med's work but also has become a landmark since its debut.
Now for those wondering about the sculpture's capability to endure Louisiana's occasional extreme weather conditions, the piece has been designed to extend into the ground, which enables it to withstand harsh winds.
"Plus, the way it's designed, air can go through it," Sarr said.
The 'In Our Hands' sculpture was lifted from its transport trailer and driven down Skip Bertman Drive to be installed in front of LSU Vet Med's Stephenson Pet Clinic in July.
Di Bari also has granted LSU Vet Med the rights to use the image for merchandise, including T-shirts and coffee mugs with all proceeds benefitting the school's artist-in-residence program. This merchandise eventually will be available in the LSU Museum of Art Museum Store on the first floor of the Shaw Center for the Arts.
In the meantime, will the Vet Med be looking for more ways to add public artwork to its grounds?
"We certainly have more construction projects, and we absolutely will be looking for more opportunities to add art," Garden said.
Visitors comments on the school's Facebook page already give a sense of the impact and meaning of Di Bari's artwork.
The LSU Vet Med's Arts Matters Advisory Council, from left, Katherine Scherer, Karlee Burleson, Gerri Hobdy, Rod Parker and Jason Andreasen, cup their hands in the same fashion as the 'In Our Hands' sculpture.
"Beautiful!" Libby Palmer writes. "Perfect depiction of what the LSU Vet School stands for!"
"Beautiful statue!" Eric Ortiz added. "This month is 4 years since my sweet Luna underwent surgery at the LSU Vet School to repair a congenital heart defect (PDA). She is thriving, and we are so grateful to Dr. Green and the vet students for giving her a bionic heart."
Finally, there's Mary Coco Nuss, who sums up everything this sculpture stands for in one comment.
"It is beautiful and so symbolic of the love and caring that my darling Grace received from the wonderful people there," she writes. "Such kindness, compassion and intellect are a beacon to everyone (4 and 2 legged) who has ever crossed their doorway."