Sculpture Tour: Exploring the Works Displayed Outside The Everson

Some of the Everson’s most fascinating works aren’t found in its galleries—they’re waiting outside. Scattered across the Museum’s Plaza and grounds, these sculptures invite visitors to slow down and experience art as part of the downtown landscape.

Join us on a tour of the Everson’s outdoor sculptures and discover the stories behind the works that greet visitors before they walk through the Museum doors.

Shawanaga by Robert Murray 

When visitors arrive and mosey towards the Museum from the parking lot, they are greeted by a striking red sculpture that looks like a large, folded piece of metal. Named Shawanaga after the river in Central Ontario, Canada, the outdoor sculpture was created by Canadian-born artist Robert Murray (b. 1936), regarded as one of Canada’s most prominent abstract sculptors.

Everson architect I.M. Pei commissioned Murray to create Shawanaga for the Plaza, where it was originally installed in 1968, coinciding with the building’s grand opening. The minimalist sculpture consists of two components, each made of ¾-inch-thick steel plates bolted together with spacers, creating the illusion that one element floats above the other — echoing the building’s cantilevers set behind it. Murray’s body of work is jointly inspired by the rich tradition of Canadian landscape painting and the bold vision of the New York Abstract Expressionists and Color Field painters.

Tree of 40 Fruit by Sam Van Aken

Approaching the Museum’s main entrance, you pass the Tree of 40 Fruit, a hybridized fruit sculpture created by contemporary artist and Syracuse University Associate Professor Sam Van Aken (b. 1972). Each of the Everson’s six trees grows over forty different types of stone fruit (meaning they have pits in the middle), including peaches, plums, apricots, nectarines, cherries, and almonds. In spring, the Tree of 40 Fruit blossoms in variegated tones of pink, crimson, and white, and bears a multitude of fruit in summer.

The trees were created by the artist through chip grafting, a process in which a sliver of one tree is inserted into a like-sized incision in a working tree, taped, left to heal over winter, and then pruned back in hopes of growth. Van Aken considers the Tree of 40 Fruit as a simultaneous artwork, research project, and form of conservation. The number 40 was chosen for its historical and biblical significance as a symbol of transformation.

“I wanted to make this tree that would blossom in different colors and bear different types of fruit, so that when you’d happen upon it, it would cause this moment of rethinking that hopefully becomes the beginning of a story,” Van Aken told Syracuse University.

Two Piece Reclining Figure No. 3 by Henry Moore

As you walk up the stairs to the main entrance, take a moment to admire the monumental bronze to your left. It has deeper roots in the building’s history than one might think.

Henry Moore (1898-1986)—an English artist best known for his biomorphic sculptures of the human figure—and I.M. Pei began their long working relationship when Pei selected Moore’s Two Piece Reclining Figure No. 3  to be placed outside the building’s main entrance.

Moore’s sculpture was an essential component of Pei’s design for the Everson from the start. Sketches of the sculpture were included in his early concept drawings for the Museum, dating back to 1961. The organic, curvilinear sculpture perfectly contrasts with the angular, geometric forms of the Museum, welcoming visitors into the brutalist building. Pei wrote about the sculpture’s importance in an April 1965 telegram sent to Everson Director Max Sullivan:

“I am tremendously enthusiastic about this fine cast. In my opinion, it is indispensable, as it was originally conceived as an integral part of the museum building. It is #1 on my recommended list of major acquisitions for Everson.”

The Museum officially purchased the sculpture in 1968, the year the building opened to the public.

shmoo at sunset by Mark Gonzales

Walking behind the Museum toward the Plaza, you often hear the gentle hum of skateboard wheels as local skaters glide across the concrete. Shmoo, a signature motif in skate culture, watches over them, standing eight feet tall with a mischievous smirk and wings outstretched.

In conjunction with the exhibition DEAD END., the Everson commissioned artist and skateboard legend Mark Gonzales (b. 1968)—known simply as Gonz—to create an outdoor, skateable sculpture for the Plaza. Gonzales’ work blends movement and image with spontaneity and humor, often featuring the recurring figure known as Shmoo, who is equal parts playful and melancholic. Shmoo at sunset celebrates the Plaza’s history as an iconic skate spot in Syracuse and stands ready to welcome new generations of skaters.

Wishbone House by Colin Greenly

Also located on the Plaza is Wishbone House, created by Colin Greenly (1928-2014), an American artist known for sculpture, painting, and experimental public art projects. Cast in concrete and shaped like a wishbone-framed shelter, Wishbone House invites viewers to engage physically by climbing its ridges or exploring the shaded interior to sit and rest on its built-in benches.

The sculpture, specially designed for children, won the National Playground Sculpture Competition sponsored by the Corcoran Gallery School of Art and Art in America Magazine in 1967, competing against hundreds of entries. While several casts of Wishbone House are installed in different cities, the sculpture outside the Everson remains a notable example of the artist’s vision for accessible, participatory public art.

Spiritual Freedom by D. Lee Dusell

Gracing the center of the Plaza is Spiritual Freedom, an abstract bronze featuring two massive circular forms with soft edges and weathered texture. The sculpture was crafted by artist D. Lee DuSell (1927-2024), a prolific designer and woodworker known for his major contributions to the interiors of religious shrines, chapels, and temples globally. Throughout his career, DuSell sought to infuse both his art and design practice with spiritual mindfulness, a testament to his strong Christian faith.

In summer 2025, the Everson displayed D Lee Dusell: Benediction, a coda to his brilliant career featuring several large-scale wooden sculptures. The exhibition included three rocking chairs—originally shown at the Everson in the 1980 show Doxology—that contain musical elements powered by their rocking motion.

Drawing in the Sky #1 by Sacha Kolin

In the shaded grassy area of the Plaza, French artist Sacha Kolin’s Drawing in the Sky #1 appears like a huge, fallen star—or snowflake, depending on the season. The 20-foot anodized aluminum sculpture was commissioned by the Everson for the Plaza and was dedicated in October 1973, a month after a selection of Kolin’s drawings were on view at the Everson. The Museum described her drawings as “joyous, ingenious, and even sometimes mischievous.” Kolin (1911-1981) sought to infuse her work with a lyrical quality, as music was one of her greatest passions.

During your next Everson visit, pick up a to-go meal from Louise, the Museum’s café, and enjoy a picnic at a table near the sculpture while taking in the view.