Barnard Sculpture in Honor of Professor Emerita Maria Luisa "Weecha" Crawford
Bryn Mawr Professor Emerita Maria Luisa “Weecha” Crawford serves as inspiration for sculptor Henry Richardson’s new 8-foot tall glass sculpture, temporarily located at Barnard College. Professor Crawford served as Richardson's thesis advisor during his time at Haverford College.
From the Barnard website announcement about the sculpture:
"A few years ago, as Richardson was rummaging through his hammer drawer, the sight of his geology rock hammer from his college days brought Crawford back to his mind. “That just took me all the way back to being in the field with her,” he said. From there, he began the energy- and time-intensive work of creating the layered sculpture of bonded, chiseled glass in the interpretive form of a figure that would become Weecha. “She was in the back of my mind as I was making this form,” he said.
“Weecha was adamant about exploring ways to look at information or ideas that didn’t conform to the way that most people were thinking about it. And so, if nothing else, really fostering a sense of exploration, and interest, and perseverance was really important.”
Crawford is the Professor Emeritus of Geology, and Curator of the Geology Mineral Collection. She taught at Bryn Mawr from 1965 to 2006.