INSTITUTE FOR ADVANCED STUDY DEDICATES SCULPTURE MARKING 75TH ANNIVERSARY OF ITS FOUNDING

New Work by Elyn Zimmerman Installed at Institute Pond

May 20, 2005, Princeton, N.J. – An undulating granite and steel sculpture by noted artist Elyn Zimmerman was dedicated today on the grounds of the Institute for Advanced Study, one of the world’s leading centers for theoretical research and intellectual inquiry. The May 20 ceremony marks the 75th anniversary of the Institute’s certificate of incorporation.

The sculpture consists of three curved granite panels, totaling forty feet in length, suspended from and surrounded by groupings of powder-coated stainless steel poles of varying heights and thicknesses. It appears as a sinuous bench floating amid slender trees. Situated along the southern edge of the Institute's pond and in front of the woods, the sculpture fits gracefully into the environment.

Dedicated to the achievements in science and scholarship of the Institute for Advanced Study, the sculpture was made possible through the generosity of Institute Trustee Robert B. Menschel. A senior director at Goldman Sachs and Company, Menschel also serves as President of the Board of Trustees of the Museum of Modern Art in New York. Over the course of his 12 years on the Board of the Institute, Menschel has funded scholarships and academic programs for the work of the Institute's Members. He was also instrumental in "Big Ideas," a major four-part miniseries that aired in 2003 about the Institute, its Faculty and research produced by THIRTEEN/Channel 13. Menschel has always found the Institute pond to be a source of inspiration, and he is pleased to show his appreciation for the Institute through the addition of this work of art.

Each of the sculpture’s three benches bears an inscribed quotation from key figures in the Institute's history: Abraham Flexner, whose vision inspired the foundation of the Institute and who served as its first director; Albert Einstein, one of the Institute’s first Professors, who spent the last 22 years of his life here; and George F. Kennan, renowned diplomat and author on foreign policy, who was appointed Professor in 1956 and remained until his death in March 2005 at age 101.

Peter Goddard, Director of the Institute, states, "Elyn Zimmerman's sculpture provides a sensitive and original combination of elegant form and practical amenity. The benches invite the passerby to stop, sit and contemplate surrounded by the Institute pond and woods. Time and space for thought on fundamental questions in beautiful surroundings are among the important resources that the Institute offers to the leading scientists and scholars who come from all over the world to work here."

Present at the May 20 dedication ceremony were: Princeton Mayor Phyllis Marchand; Mercer County Executive Brian M. Hughes; New Jersey Assemblywoman Bonnie Watson Coleman; Institute Director Peter Goddard; Institute Trustee Robert B. Menschel; and artist Elyn Zimmerman.

The granite for the sculpture came from Cold Spring Granite Co. in Minnesota, and the sculpture was installed by The Iron Shop of Broomall, PA.

About Elyn Zimmerman

Elyn Zimmerman received an undergraduate degree with majors in art and perceptual psychology from the University of California, Los Angeles, where she also earned her Masters in Fine Arts. At UCLA, she studied painting with Richard Diebenkorn and photography with Robert Heineken. While in graduate school, she became acquainted with James Turrell and Robert Irwin and soon became part of the circle of "Light and Space" artists.

Zimmerman’s large-scale outdoor projects for private and public institutions include works at the National Geographic Society in Washington, D.C. and O'Hare International Center in Chicago, as well as a fountain memorial for the victims of the 1993 World Trade Center bombing. This latter project was destroyed in the 2001 attack.

About the Institute

The Institute for Advanced Study is a private, independent academic institution located in Princeton, N.J. Work at the Institute takes place in four Schools: Historical Studies, Mathematics, Natural Sciences, and Social Science. Esteemed past faculty have included Albert Einstein, who remained at the Institute until his death in 1955, and luminaries such as Kurt Gödel, J. Robert Oppenheimer, Erwin Panofsky, Homer A. Thompson, John von Neumann and Hermann Weyl. A permanent Faculty of 26 eminent scholars guides the work of the Schools, and each year awards fellowships to some 190 visiting Members, from about one hundred universities and research institutions throughout the world. The Institute’s more than 5,000 former Members hold positions of intellectual and scientific leadership in the United States and abroad. Some 19 Nobel laureates, and 32 out of 44 Fields Medalists, have been Institute Faculty or Members. Many winners of the Wolf or MacArthur prizes have also been affiliated with the Institute.

The Institute has no formal links to other educational institutions. However, since its founding, it has enjoyed close, collaborative ties with Princeton University; Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey; and other nearby institutions. The Institute’s 800-acre site, the majority of which has been permanently conserved, includes the Institute Woods, farm fields, and wetlands. These lands form a key link in a network of green spaces in central New Jersey, and provide a tranquil environment for members of the community and Institute scholars.

For further information about the Institute and its programs, visit www.ias.edu.