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Editor’s note: Over Friday, August 29, and Saturday, August 30, 2025, the final sculpture was installed on the campus of Morrison Institute of Technology, 701 Portland Avenue, Morrison, IL. The college’s First Biennial Sculpture Exhibition officially opens Saturday, September 20, 2025. Ten, new, large-scale sculptures were added to the campus, joining ten current pieces; new art will remain into 2026.
Meet artist Michelle Meyer of Wauconda, IL, creator of “The Morrison Maven.” She explained a maven is an “enthusiast.” So is Meyer! “I haven’t made a new piece in [two or three] years. I’m very excited to be here and see all the pieces!” She plans to bring others [to MIT] on a road trip.
She met Charles Yost in December 2024, at the Chicago Sculpture International Show.
Left-to-right, MIT President Chris Scott, Curator Yost, and Meyer did the heavy lifting to transfer the “Maven” from truck to forklift. Scott slowly, precisely delivered the art onto a slight rise in view from the parking lot, settling it onto two, narrow, steel I-beam pedestals. He admitted to having “lots of practice” moving such art pieces. “We’ll make a title plaque for all the pieces,” he added.
Meyer was asked to estimate the weight of this object. “I will measure the sheet material weight and square feet; and the angle iron, too. I add the weight of a box of [large] bolts. It probably is 600 pounds.”
Scott explained that MIT is a nonprofit institution, specializing in Engineering Technology and Network Administration. “Students come from a 200 mile radius. Community Colleges get State funding. Every MIT dollar comes from students; we make sure they get every cent back [in their education.] All of this is to make students ready to go out into the world. No one can come close to our starting salaries or placement of students in the two programs!
“Everyone is surprised how pretty the campus is. [The sculptures] make it more pleasant and calming. This is the first traveling exhibit we have hosted.”
By late Saturday afternoon, the double-side sculpture stood completely reassembled. Meyer painted front and back side panels framing the acrylic mirror. Are they lavender hair? wings? petals? handles? Michelle Meyer is delighted that people relate to “The Morrison Maven” in indifferent ways. “No two people are looking at the same art piece!”
But they will likely be looking at themselves in the mirrors of her newest creation.
