Prickly Pear
By Charles Ringer
2004
Location: Front of the building
An imaginative steel sculptor, Charles Ringer found his inspiration for this sculpture while walking through the Beartooth Mountains in Montana and stepping on a prickly pear cactus plant. Originally made of shiny polished steel, the piece was purposely exposed to environmental elements to rust into a warm red color, blending into its natural surroundings. Known for his kinetic sculptures, Ringer used geometric shapes welded at angles to imply a sense of movement and growth in the plant.