June 2, 2003 - The Michigan State News: Nigeria RPCV Jim Cunningham retireds as Professor at MSU, begins career as sculptor

Peace Corps Online: Directory: Nigeria: Peace Corps Nigeria : The Peace Corps in Nigeria: June 2, 2003 - The Michigan State News: Nigeria RPCV Jim Cunningham retireds as Professor at MSU, begins career as sculptor

By Admin1 (admin) on Monday, June 02, 2003 - 9:49 am: Edit Post

Nigeria RPCV Jim Cunningham retireds as Professor at MSU, begins career as sculptor





Read and comment on this story from The Michigan State News on Nigeria RPCV Jim Cunningham who is retiring as a Professor of Physiology at MSU and will dedicate himself full time to a new career as sculptor. As a 20-something, Jim Cunningham ventured to Nigeria as a Peace Corps volunteer in the mid-1960s, furthering an interest in carpentry and sculpting under a local wood carver. "Somebody gave me some chisel and I went to a local carver," Cunningham said. "He got a kick out of an American who wanted some advice, so he made me his apprentice. I worked for many years following his tradition."

"Life is increasingly uncertain; it's time for dessert," Cunningham said. "I've watched a lot of people stay on faculty and die or be ineffective. I decided I didn't want to do that." Read the story at:


Prof trades books for chisels*

* This link was active on the date it was posted. PCOL is not responsible for broken links which may have changed.



Prof trades books for chisels
Professor ends 31-year teaching stint

By ANTONIO PLANAS

The State News

Next Photo ->

AMANDA MCCOY · The State News

Jim Cunningham, left, and Fred Richards work together to bedn pieces of metal for one of Cunningham's sculptures Thursday at Bannasch Welding, 807 lake Lansing Road. Cunningham and Richards have been working together for about 15 years.

As a 20-something, Jim Cunningham ventured to Nigeria as a Peace Corps volunteer in the mid-1960s, furthering an interest in carpentry and sculpting under a local wood carver.

"Somebody gave me some chisel and I went to a local carver," Cunningham said. "He got a kick out of an American who wanted some advice, so he made me his apprentice. I worked for many years following his tradition."

Almost four decades later, the associate professor of physiology is retiring from teaching after 31 years at MSU to begin a full time career as a sculptor. His retirement officially begins July 1.

"Life is increasingly uncertain; it's time for dessert," Cunningham said. "I've watched a lot of people stay on faculty and die or be ineffective. I decided I didn't want to do that."

While on sabbatical from MSU in 1987, Cunningham traveled to Zimbabwe to teach African veterinary and medical students. In Zimbabwe, he apprenticed under two African sculptors. Cunningham was forced to learn how to sculpt out of a different medium called serpentine stone - a soft, shiny rock - creating large stone sculptures.

Cunningham said while he was in Zimbabwe the two sculptors' work portrayed stories of African and religious folklore.

"Public art works best when it speaks to the community where it is located," he said. "That is something I learned from the African sculptors I worked with."

When returning home from Zimbabwe, Cunningham began working with stainless steel and bronze. In the late 1980s, he apprenticed under a local welder, Fred Richard from Bannasch Welding, 807 Lake Lansing Road in Lansing. Under the supervision of Richard, Cunningham began getting contracts to do public pieces.

His first piece of public work went up in 1994 in a Lansing neighborhood. The 13-foot sculpture called "Community" is composed of five abstract shapes of different colors representing the different ethnic groups in the neighborhood.

The piece is located on Garden Street near Mount Hope Road.

Another one of his pieces can be seen at Beaner's Gourmet Coffee, 270 W. Grand River Ave. The sculpture called "Buna Bet," is an abstract coffee table with the sun or moon coming over an abstract coffee cup, depending on where the sun is, Cunningham said.

Buna Bet is an Ethiopian phrase meaning a place to gather to drink, relax and socialize.

MSU's campus has not been spared from Cunningham art work.

One of his sculptures titled "Veterinarians - Caring for Animals' and the public's health," can be viewed in front of the Veterinary Medical Center.

The 6-foot 7-inch sculpture is made out of stainless steel and bronze and weighs 2,200 pounds. The sculpture is composed of a dog, a cow and an eagle in between a large bronze circle. A pair of abstract hands rise out of the base.

The sculpture represents the three different groups of animals veterinarians work with, companion, food and wild animals. It was presented to the university in 1999.

Richard said although Cunningham is retiring, he will continue treat his new occupation as a hobby and not a career.

"A lot of people are going to want his work," Richard said. "He's going to be working as hard, if not more, but he'll love every minute of it."

Cunningham's work also is featured in pieces located overseas.

In 2000, he was commissioned to do two sculptures for the Multinational Force and Observers, a group working to establish peace in the Middle East.

The two sculptures were placed in Egypt, in the northern and southern tips of the Sinai Peninsula. The pieces represent achieving piece between Egypt and Israel.

Cunningham also recently finished a piece for singer and songwriter Stevie Wonder, called "Rings of Friendship." The piece portrays the 40-year friendship between Wonder and former MSU employee and alumnus J.J. Jackson.

Jackson formerly served as coordinator of Alternative Format Services for students with disabilities at MSU.

Cunningham will present the piece to Wonder in the next few weeks in Los Angeles.

"That's going to be a very interesting experience," Cunningham said. "I didn't know much about his music until I learned about this commission. But I'm learning more."

Cunningham also is working on two replica pieces that have to do with the deployment of his 29-year-old son, Matt Cunningham, to Iraq.

Matt Cunningham was deployed to northern Iraq in March. He's hoping to be home by Christmas, Cunningham said.

Lonnie King, Dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine, said the MSU community will remember Cunningham as a great teacher.

"If you look at the active veterinarians throughout the state, he's probably had a role in teaching about 75 percent of them," King said.

Cunningham said so far he has created between 20 and 30 pieces of art. Most of them are given as gifts to family and friends.

He said he would like to experiment sculpting with other materials such as stained glass and granite.

Cunningham said the interaction between himself and his students is what he will most from teaching.

"I had the privilege of working with some of best students on campus for 30 years," he said.

"l will miss their enthusiasm, curiosity and idealism for medicine."

Antonio Planas can be reached at planasan@msu.edu.

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