IU Bloomington has sculptures and statues all over campus, many crafted by IU professors and artists. These works of art commemorate researchers, athletes and musicians and often have some surprising backstories.
Here are some of the best stories behind iconic campus art.
Herman B Wells by Harold ‘Tuck’ Langland
Perhaps the most famous statue on IU’s campus is that of former president and chancellor Herman B Wells. Fun fact, the B in his name doesn’t stand for anything, according to Wells’ obituary in the New York Times in 2000. His parents couldn’t agree on a middle name that started with ‘B’, the tradition on his mother’s side of the family.
Wells’ statue sits on a bench in the Old Crescent, near the Rose Well House. It’s tradition that if students shake Wells’ hand, it will bring them good luck on their final exams.
According to a 2010 Indiana Daily Student story, sculptor Harold “Tuck” Langland, an alum of the University of Minnesota, carved “University of Minnesota — Go Gophers” on the underside of the brim of Wells’ hat.
‘Search of Universal Life,’ or ‘SOUL’ by William Snapp
William Snapp’s statue of a man reaching towards the sky stands in the Commemorative Garden of the Indiana Memorial Union.
“SOUL” was donated to the university in 1989 and stolen (for the first time) circa1995, according to a 2002 IDS story. It was found in a utility tunnel.
The statue was stolen again in 2002 and discovered in the woods nearly a year later, the IDS reported in 2003. It hasn’t been reported missing since.
‘Hoagy Carmichael Landmark Sculpture’ by Michael McAuley
Near the IU Auditorium sits a bronze sculpture of Hoagy Carmichael, a Bloomington jazz pianist and composer who is best known for his song “Stardust.” A 2008 IU news article described many of Carmichael’s compositions as “American jazz standards” and recounted that he won an Oscar in 1952 for his song “In the Cool, Cool, Cool of the Evening.”
Sculptor and Bloomington native Michael McAuley depicted Carmichael seated at a piano with one hand resting on its top. Students often place a flower in that hand or on the brim of Carmichael’s hat.
George Taliaferro by Brian Hanlon
An IU Athletics story from 2019 described George Taliaferro as “one of the most important and influential individuals in the history of Indiana University.”
Taliaferro was an accomplished football player and the first Black man to be drafted into the NFL. Taliaferro and Wells played a significant part in the desegregation of Bloomington in the 1940s, according to the 2019 story.
His statue stands on the north side of Memorial Stadium, at the George Taliaferro Plaza.
‘Peau Rouge Indiana’ by Alexander Calder
American sculptor Alexander Calder, famous for his mobiles and monumental works, created this abstract art piece in 1970 specifically for the Musical Arts Center of the Jacobs School of Music, according to Visit Bloomington.
The Herald-Times reported in 2018 that when “Peau Rouge Indiana” needed to be repainted in 1980, the primer was too similar in color to the gold of rival school Purdue. IU president John Ryan sent for the Calder Foundation’s red paint via plane, to make sure that the sculpture wasn’t painted gold when IU faced off against Purdue for the Old Oaken Bucket.
Elinor Ostrom by Michael McAuley
Elinor Ostrom was the first woman to win a Nobel Prize in Economics, and her statue sits in the Ostrom Commons behind Woodburn Hall, inviting passerby to stop for a while. Sculptor McAuley said that the statue was meant to reflect Ostrom’s vivacious character in a 2020 IU news story.
‘Harlan’ by Amy Brier, Mike Donham and Accent Limestone
Outside of the Psychology Building, there is a giant limestone sculpture of a brain, and his name is Harlan.
Artist Amy Brier, carver Mike Donham and Accent Limestone worked together to create the largest anatomically correct sculpture of a brain in the world, according to the Department of Psychology and Brain Sciences. Harlan owes his name to the Harlan Family Foundation, who underwrote the project.
Harlan is often lit up at night, and on Nov. 5, 2024, Harlan sported a sign reading “I voted.” Good job, Harlan.
This story was originally published in the Indiana Daily Student's Source print publication March 3, 2025.
