This story is featured in the Fall 2022 edition of the HPU Magazine.
At High Point University, students are surrounded by inspiring leaders, mentors and peers. They see extraordinary take shape before them and learn that they, too, can achieve great things. At HPU, we call this the art of the possible.
Every inch of HPU’s 520-acre campus is intentionally designed to support, motivate, teach and inspire — even the art.
Yes, the lessons and values college students take with them after graduating are instilled from the examples set by their professors, president and peers. They learn from their physical surroundings, too. It’s why HPU has created an ecosystem of inspiration on campus, including teachable art around every corner.
To students, the aesthetics of HPU’s campus inspires them to achieve success and encourage others — from grand architectural entrances that welcome students into buildings to motivating murals on the walls. So even if you’re not an art buff, you’ll appreciate the impact these works have on students’ success.
Here are just a few examples of the intentional art you’ll find across HPU’s campus:
Transformational Butterfly
Students see transformation and growth happen before them constantly — on their campus, in their city and within themselves. Found above the breezeway between the Butterfly Café and Caine Conservatory, this moving mosaic butterfly, pictured above, not only makes the nook more beautiful but serves as a reminder of the vibrant transformation that takes place throughout students' time at HPU — preparing them to spread their wings when they graduate.
Tree of Life
To live life in balance, one must grow intellectually, spiritually, physically and emotionally. Located next to Roberts Hall, the first building constructed on campus in 1924, this sculpture is one of many symbols that represent HPU’s holistic approach to education.
Historical Sculptures
Classical music plays up and down the Kester International Promenade, providing a sense of calm and concentration for students on their way to class or before a big test. Along the bustling route, they’ll also find inspiration from the 40 sculptures of great historical leaders, such as Amelia Earhart, Martin Luther King Jr., Marie Curie and Mahatma Gandhi. This is because HPU knows who you spend time with is who you become. These sculptures are a daily reminder to students that they, too, can achieve great things.
Free-Flowing American Flag
This giant American flag is located where visitors enter the main lobby of the Nido and Mariana Qubein Arena and Conference Center. It's a proud display of how faith, family and patriotism are woven into the fabric of campus life. The words, “God. Family. Country.” are made of forged steel from the Twin Towers in New York City, to honor the heroic sacrifices made by our first responders. It was intentionally designed as a flowing flag to symbolize the transformational nature of the United States, as well as the transformational nature of HPU's campus. Constantly in motion, it represents the essence of the American Dream – the opportunity to improve one’s life and the lives of others. You’ll find much more patriotic imagery around campus, reminding students of the principles on which America was founded — free enterprise, patriotism, an entrepreneurial spirit and more.
Human Link Sculpture
Ask someone who has been a mentor or has been mentored and they’ll tell you that mentorship is an act of service. Parents, who are often one’s first mentors, are shown supporting their child in this sculpture, located in Hayworth Park behind the Slane Student Center. HPU students are constantly being uplifted and supported by caring mentors in every area of campus life. In turn, they learn to extend this act of service to others.
Dream Big Chairs
These are just a few words of gratitude Class of 2008 graduate Christine DiFerdinando McKnight shared in a letter to HPU President Nido Qubein a few months after graduating: “HPU gave me the positive outlook I needed to dream big dreams and achieve my goals without being intimidated by life’s obstacles.”
Her letter inspired the Dream Big Chairs, which represents how HPU equips students with the confidence to embrace whatever life throws their way. And if you take a longer look, you may find more meaning behind the rockers. Being that the city of High Point is known as the Home Furnishings Capital of the World, these 16-feet-tall chairs show support for all the unique opportunities the industry brings to HPU students.
Olympic Strength
This iconic image of Atlas in modern culture, derived from Greek mythology, can take on a world of representations — the power of the entrepreneurial spirit, perseverance, inner strength and the list goes on. Most importantly, this 35-foot-tall, seven-ton sculpture speaks to the individual encouragement each student needs — whether it’s the reminder that anything is possible or just the peace of providing a quiet place to study.