A metal fish sculpture titled “The Spirit of Christ” by artist Tom Tsuchiya was dedicated at the Earl and Virginia Green art gallery this morning. President Barry Corey, provost and senior vice president David Nystrom, art professor Dan Callis and Marilyn Long of the Long Foundation dedicated the sculpture in honor of former art department chair Loren Baker, who died at the end of the fall 2013 semester.

“He was a man who loved and appreciated the arts. He modeled faith, love, authenticity, and generosity. These are all qualities that are represented in the “Spirit of Christ” sculpture,” said Long, who funded the sculpture.

“The Spirit of Christ” is a visual representation of the feeding of the five-thousand, Tsuchiya said. The sculpture incorporates 12 elements that represent the baskets that were used by Jesus and his disciples to help feed the five-thousand.

The art piece contains 12 removable panels that allow passers-by to place canned food items inside to be donated to local charities, Tsuchiya said. During the sculpture dedication, Tsuchiya placed a can of Campbell’s vegetable soup inside the sculpture as a precursor to campus-wide food drives that will be sponsored by Associated Students.

“[The Spirit of Christ] is a piece that is part fine art, part function art, and part performance art,” Tsuchiya said.

Sophomore nursing major Grace Nam said she appreciates the aspect of food donations incorporated into “The Spirit of Christ.”

“I was a little iffy in the beginning, but now that I get the meaning [of the sculpture], it’s a really good addition to the school,” Nam said.

Junior art major James McCahon said he was unsure of the general appearance of “The Spirit of Christ” upon first glance. However, after hearing Tsuchiya’s vision for the sculpture, McCahon said the sculpture is fascinating.

“I think that [the sculpture] is a lot of what art is about –– is just interacting with the community and this is interacting with the community in a very beneficial way,” McCahon said.