Palace of Memories

Commissioned by Centre College’s faculty and staff to celebrate the start of a new millennium, Palace of Memories is an eye-catching feature of Centre’s campus landscape. Created by internationally exhibited artist William R. Chapin, the sculpture features a massive Egyptian scarab beetle carved from African red granite. The sculpture rests atop a winding, 200-foot-long grass-covered mound inspired by Ohio’s ancient Serpent Mound — a site where prehistoric people carved the landscape into ridges and curves. The piece symbolizes the progression of knowledge across time and civilizations.

 

 

Palace of Memories statue with Young and Olin buildings in the background

Work Overview

Beneath the scarab are 135 carved inscriptions contributed by Centre faculty, staff, and students. These inscriptions and diagrams include quotations from Homer, Plato, and Spinoza, along with representations of the Milky Way, the double helix, and more. Only fragments of the inscriptions are visible and form what Chapin describes as the "ultimate time capsule.”

Artist Biography 

Tom Chapin is an internationally recognized sculptor known for his work in granite, stone, marble, wood, and bronze. After beginning his career as a traveling carpenter, he turned to sculpture at age 33. His work ranges from miniature pieces to large-scale earthworks and has been exhibited across the U.S., U.K., Belgium, and Italy. His sculptures appear in permanent collections of the DeCordova Museum in Lincoln, Massachusetts; the Addison Gallery of American Art in Andover, Massachusetts; and several other museums in the U.S., as well as in private and corporate collections worldwide. His work has been featured in The New York Times, The Chicago Tribune and The Boston Globe.

Work Details

Artist: Tom Chapin
Date: April 25, 2000
Location: In front of Young Hall and Olin Hall
Medium: African red granite, earthwork, and grass