This page presents conceptual studies exploring how sculpture might engage with the legacy of Jane Stanford — co-founder and early steward of Stanford University.

After Leland Stanford’s death in 1893, Jane Stanford assumed responsibility for the university and guided it through one of the most precarious periods in its early history, ensuring its survival and future growth.

Rather than proposing a traditional monument, these studies explore how a work of art might create curiosity and reflection within the everyday life of the campus — an experience that invites people to encounter Stanford’s origins in unexpected ways.

Cardinal Spirit explores perception, movement, and discovery through a shifting visual experience.

A tall curved form finished in Stanford cardinal red is perforated with a halftone pattern derived from an historical image of Jane Stanford. From most viewpoints the sculpture reads as an abstract form. From a particular position along the surrounding path, the image resolves suddenly into focus.

As viewers continue moving, the portrait dissolves again into abstraction.

The work rewards movement and attention. Rather than presenting a single fixed viewpoint, the sculpture reveals itself gradually within the rhythms of daily campus life.

The piece draws quietly on Stanford’s identity as Cardinal — both the university’s color and a symbol of collective spirit.

The appearance and disappearance of the image suggests presence emerging from absence, echoing how Jane Stanford’s influence continues to shape the university long after her lifetime.

Rather than functioning as a traditional monument, the work operates as a catalyst — an artwork that invites curiosity, discovery, and conversation.

In addition to the perceptual sculpture concept, a figurative approach was also explored.

Due to Jane imagines Jane Stanford at college age, presented without the formal trappings of her era in order to create a more immediate connection with contemporary students.

At monumental scale the sculpture would serve both as portrait and gathering place — a focal point inviting reflection on the leadership and resilience that sustained the university in its early years.

Jane Stanford’s influence on the university’s survival and early development remains an essential — a complex and often underrecognized — part of Stanford’s story.