The abstract red and black statue outside of Snyder and Phillips halls has been vandalized twice since the start of the semester.

The structure, called The Funambulist, was first tagged sometime between Sept. 3 and Sept. 8 with the word “ART” written on the statue in black permanent marker. The vandalism was reported by an MSU employee and removed.

But on Tuesday, white spray paint appeared on the statue reading “student space.” The paint was similar to the previous “ART” graffiti.

MSU police Sgt. Florene McGlothian-Taylor said although it is common for statues and structures to be tagged and even damaged, it is not common for one structure to be targeted as frequently as The Funambulist has been.

The MSU police department has not received an official report for the most recent vandalism.

The structure cost $150,000 to construct, and was commissioned by the MSU Public Art on Campus Committee, which donates 0.5 percent of the cost of major renovations on campus to dedicate art work to the new or renovated building.

The structure, which was pieced together in the north lawn of the dorm in early June, has been unpopular among some students. A Facebook group petitioning to move the statue from its location sprung up less than a week after the statue was constructed, and more than 175 people joined the group.

“In all honesty, I hate it,” said Katie Nowinski, a junior in the Residential College in the Arts and Humanities, or RCAH. “I don’t find myself enthused at all. The artistic integrity of the piece was interesting to study, but it’s not my taste.”

Steve Troost, an MSU campus planner, said it was unfortunate the statue was been vandalized.

“We just need to monitor every incident to see what the patterns might be,” Troost said. “There are obvious things that might be done, but we want the artwork to be accessible. We don’t want to rope it off and put it in a cage.”

MSU landscape services is looking into the vandalism, Troost said.
RCAH sophomore Ellen Groeneveld said although she appreciated what the status stood for, the statue’s more modern style clashed with the surrounding North Complex.

“It doesn’t fit with the old feel of this part of campus,” Groeneveld said. “They could have done something more tasteful for this part of campus.”

Despite her dislike for the actual piece, what it represents is symbolic, Groeneveld said.

“I like that it’s supposed to represent balance,” she said. “It’s a good symbol for the RCAH.”