Senior Hunter Stewart Unveils “Tree of Life” Sculpture

Last week, senior Hunter Stewart installed a six-foot sculpture made out of laser-cut steel in the Father Allen Novotny, S.J. Courtyard outside Reusch-Cantwell. Called "Tree of Life," the piece was created for Hunter's Independent Art Class and is the culmination of an idea he had as a sophomore.

"I had a vision one night about how trees all start at the same base," says Hunter. "Their branches take different paths but sometimes intertwine."

Hunter hand-cut a scale model of the piece from aluminum flashing, a building material used in roofing. Each piece was then scanned and converted into vectors so it could be machined using a computer-numerical-control (CNC) laser.

The installation last week was intentionally timed to correspond with a snow storm. "We knew the aesthetics of the piece would be magnified in so many wonderful ways with a significant snow," said Art Teacher Matthew Duffy. "For Hunter to be able to think about factors such as weather in a high school art project is just awesome. It was clear from the moment I met Hunter that he was monumentally talented, and it is fitting that by his senior year he is installing monumental sculptures."

Next year, Hunter will attend the University of Virginia, where he will pursue a degree in architecture and play on the football team.

Congratulations, Hunter!
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