On May 28, Southwestern Oregon Community College will unveil a life-size statue of the 20th century's most famous physicists: Albert Einstein.
Titled My Friend Albert, the sculpture was created by Kathleen Zappelli, a board member of the Coos Art Museum and an alumna of the University of Oregon. Weighing 400 pounds, the statue is made of inch-thick stoneware clay. It was created as part of a completion marker for Zappelli's Bachelor of Fine Arts degree which she finished in 1999.
The sculpture depicts Albert Einstein mid-laugh, which, along with its playful title, breaks down the academic barrier surrounding figures like the Nobel Prize-winning scientist. Famous for formulating the theory of relativity, which changed our understanding of space, time, gravity and cosmology, Einstein is also remembered for his sense of humor. Born in Ulm, he later moved to the United States in the face of rising Nazism, and ultimately accepted a post at the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, New Jersey.
On public display at the Oregon State University's Extension Office for two decades, Zappelli's sculpture was donated to Southwestern's Art Department last year. It has since been given a base for public display by Art Professor James Fritz. From the art department, it will be transferred to Umpqua Hall, the university's health and science building opened in 2021. In line with the sculpture's theme, students and staff will accompany the statue in a light-hearted procession entitled A walk across campus with Albert Einstein. My Friend Albert will be unveiled at its new location at 12 noon on May 28.
