LIFE on Campus

Students, faculty, staff and Longmeadow residents gathered in front of Elliot Hall on Wednesday, November 7, to celebrate the debut of the LIFE sculpture on the Longmeadow campus. The piece, designed and crafted from a fallen branch of a live oak tree, was created by Harold Grinspoon, a longtime resident of Longmeadow and friend of the University.

President Leary spoke to the gathering: “LIFE truly reflects the essence of Bay Path. It expresses the hopes of our students. The soaring branches represent our Bay Path community reaching to the stars. And the center of the sculpture is shaped like a heart, and reminds us to be kind and welcoming. The moment we saw the piece; we knew it would have a special place on our campus.”

After successful careers in business and philanthropy, Harold Grinspoon, at the age of 87, developed a new passion: art. His work as a sculptor started when a towering cherry tree fell in his backyard. Over the course of time, the fallen tree captured his imagination, only to take form and become a lasting piece of artwork. This first sculpture was eventually placed on view at The Mount, the home and museum of celebrated author Edith Wharton located in Lenox, MA. It was the starting point for the ensuing 26 unique pieces of large-scale sculptures made from reclaimed trees, selected locally, as well as imported from Florida, California, and elsewhere.

Now at age 89, Grinspoon produces his sculptures in a bustling workshop in Agawam with a large team. Grinspoon’s work is also currently included in three curated group exhibitions with SculptureNow at The Mount in Lenox, MA; XTCA: Cross Town Contemporary Art Exhibition presented by the University Museum of Contemporary Art at the University of Massachusetts/Amherst; and Art in the Orchard in Easthampton, MA. His works have also been displayed in three public locations: MGM Springfield (MA); Eastern States Exposition (West Springfield, MA); and Mass General Hospital (Boston, MA).