Peace Monuments at Bluffton University Bluffton, Ohio (USA)

Bluffton's mission: "Shaped by the historic peace church tradition and nourished by a desire for excellence in all phases of its programs, Bluffton University seeks to prepare students of all backgrounds for life as well as vocation, for responsible citizenship, for service to all peoples and, ultimately, for the purposes of God's universal kingdom."

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1930's - "Swords Into Plowshares," Klassen Court, Bluffton College, Bluffton, Ohio (USA). Bronze plaque by John Peter Klassen [1888-1975]. Based on Issiah 2:4: "They shall beat their swords into plowshares." Photo by EWL. Klassen Clourt conains several other outdoor sculptures by John Peter Klassen.

1984 - Constellation Earth, Snyder Traffic Circle, Bluffton College, Bluffton, Ohio (USA). "An eight-foot sphere celebrating the global family." Duplicate of bronze sculpture by Paul Theodore Granlund [1925-2003] which the City of St. Paul, Minnesota (USA), presented in 1992 to Nagasaki (Japan) for the "Peace Symbols Zone" in Nagasaki Peace Park. Photo by EWL.

October 1992 - Constellation Earth, World Peace Symbol Zone, Nagasaki Peace Park, Nagasaki (Japan). Bronze sculpture by Paul Granlund [1925-2003] donated by the citizens of sister city St. Paul, Minneasota (USA). "The seven human figures represent the continents. The interdependence of the figures symbolizes global peace & solidarity." There are four copies of this sculpture in the USA: University of St. Thomas, St. Paul, MN (1984), Sherer Spring Garden, Upper Iowa University, Fayette, IA (1984), Snyder Traffic Circle, Bluffton College, Bluffton, OH (1984) & Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN (1986), .

1987 - Lion & Lamb Peace Arts Center, Bluffton University, Riley Court (Lower Level), Spring Street, Bluffton, Ohio (USA). Educational center but in effect a museum of peace art. Several other peace monuments are in the adjacent Peace Garden. Right image shows Director Louise Matthews speaking to students. Entry #790 in the "Peace Movement Directory" by James Richard Bennett (2001). Member of International Network of Museums for Peace (INMP).

1994 - Peace Thrones, below Sauder Visual Arts Center near Riley Creek, Bluffton University, Bluffton, Ohio (USA). Created by B. Amore & Woody Dorsey. Stone seats for conversation or meditation. "Based on legends found in many cultures, the three large granite rocks create a neutral space to foster dialogue and listening in an effort to resolve conflict through dialogue without resorting to violence." Image scanned from university brochure.

1997 - Peace Wall & Moon Gate, Peace Garden at the Lion & Lamb Peace Arts Center, Bluffton University, Riley Court (Lower Level), Spring Street, Bluffton, Ohio (USA). By Jon Barlow Hudson. "Replicates the Berlin Wall, a prison wall, a stockade wall & a memorial wall as an interactive art experience representing how we close people out, hold them in, or immortalize them with walls of various kinds." Names 68 peace activists. Entry #793 in the "Peace Movement Directory" by James Richard Bennett (2001).

1997 - Peace House, Lion & Lamb Peace Arts Center, Bluffton University, Riley Court (Lower Level), Spring Street, Bluffton, Ohio (USA). By Jack Mann, art professor at Wittenburg University. Stainless steel sculpture intended to evoke "the peaceful and not-so-peacefull world of 'home.'"

1997 - Jonah & the Whale, Lion & Lamb Peace Arts Center, Bluffton University, Riley Court (Lower Level), Spring Street, Bluffton, Ohio (USA). By Gregg Luginbuhl, art professor at Bluffton University. Invites viewers "to sit and ponder their own experiences of transformation from chaos to peace."

1999-2000 - Bluffton University, Bluffton, Ohio (USA). Posted by Sara (Mayes '86) Kisseberth: "In 1999, as we planned the Sculpture Garden Walkway around the new Centennial Hall, Paul Soldner [1921-2011] donated one of his signature winged forms to the project. The Untitled bronze piece is located near the College Avenue entrance to Centennial, and is a fitting monument to Soldner’s longstanding relationship with Bluffton. /// My father and Paul Klassen purchased two of Soldner’s salt fumed works from his last Bluffton show in 2000, and donated them to Bluffton. These pieces are on permanent display in public locations on campus: a wall plaque with pink fuming and some free brush work adorns the wall behind Sally Siferd’s desk in the president’s office; and a classic Soldner ceramic winged form with stamped surface impressions and copper green fuming is in the outer room of the art department office complex in Sauder Visual Art Center."

2005 - "Community," Lion & Lamb Peace Arts Center, Bluffton University, Bluffton, Ohio (USA). Bronze by Esther Augsberger. About 24 inches high.

S C U L P T

1997 - "Guns to Plowshares," Judiciary Square Metro Stattion, Washington, DC (USA). Sculpture by Esther & Michael Augsburger: 20-foot plowshare with 3,000 welded handguns donated by the Metropolitan Police. Entry #1111 in the "Peace Movement Directory" by James Richard Bennett (2001).

S C U L P T

Date? - "Missiles Into Plowshares," Calvin G. High Pavilion, Greenfield Corporate Center, Greenfield Park, Pennsylvania (USA). Sculpture by Esther Augsburger

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2007 - Peace Pole, Bluffton University, Riley Court (Lower Level), Spring Street, Bluffton, Ohio (USA). The six-sided western cedar International Peace Pole marks the Lion and Lamb’s 20th year of promoting peace. [The peace prayer] “May peace prevail on earth” [of Masahisa Goi, 1916-1980] is translated into 12 languages, most of which represent the languages of current Bluffton University students: Arabic, Bosnia, English, French, German, Hindi, Indonesian, Japanese, Lakota Sioux, Russian, Spanish & Swahili. This is one of more than 200,000 peace poles planted in all parts of the world. /// Image shows international flag display, representing the home countries of Bluffton University students, temporarily standing beside the peace pole.