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Guide to the Dale Kendrick Materials related to "The Scroll" Sculpture in La Crosse, Wisconsin, 1990-2002
MSS 137
Table of Contents
Summary Information
- Abstract
- "The Scroll," or its full title, "Scrolled Tablets of Pictographs Celebrate the Creation of Letters Making Words into Written Languages for Human Expressions," was designed by Dale Kendrick and constructed between 1990 and 1998 with the support of the City of La Crosse Downtown Sculpture Committee and the Lunde Foundry (Holmen, Wis.). In kind donations were accepted from local businesses and donors were able to "purchase" the hieroglyphic tablets to be screwed onto the main sculpture. "The Scroll" was dedicated on June 27, 1998; and it was dismantled and the bronze tablets placed into storage in August 2013. Materials are arranged chronologically, with tabs placed to mark the years. The photographs have been kept in original order, which is generally chronological, though the photographs of the hieroglyphic tablets would predate the photographs of the dedication ceremony.
- Collection Title
- Dale Kendrick Materials related to "The Scroll" Sculpture in La Crosse, Wisconsin,
- Date of Materials
- 1990-2002
- Creator
- Kendrick, Dale, 1928-2003
- Call Number
- MSS 137
- Amount
- 0.4 cubic feet
- Physical Description
- 1 archival binder
- Language of Materials
- English
- Repository
- La Crosse Public Library Archives
Preferred Citation
[Identification of item], Dale Kendrick Materials related to "The Scroll" Sculpture in La Crosse, Wisconsin, MSS 137, La Crosse Public Library Archives, La Crosse, WI
Biographical Note
Dale Kendrick was a mixed medium artist, active from 1951 until his death in 2003. Kendrick first earned his bachelor’s degree from Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana, in 1950. He completed his master’s degree from the State University of Iowa in Iowa City, Iowa, in 1951, and his Ph.D. from Penn State University in 1960, while studying under known art professor, Viktor Lowenfeld. After completing his Ph.D., Kendrick became an instructor at Eastern Michigan University until 1952. Following, he became an assistant professor at Arkansas State College in Jonesboro, Arkansas, until 1954. Kendrick was also a visiting lecturer at the University of Wisconsin-Madison from 1956-1958. Finally, Dale Kendrick spent the bulk of his career as a professor of art at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse from 1960-1990, and was also the department chairperson from 1974-1990.
During his time as a professor, Kendrick published four different works, which are “The Influence of Teacher Motivation and Non-Motivation on the Overall Aesthetic Quality of the ‘Whole’ and the Parts of Cut-Paper Art Products” in , Spring 1962; a slide series entitled, “Harry Ratcliffe Builds a Stoneware Kiln” in 1965; a series of study slides in 1966 entitled, “Art History Study Slides, 19th and 20th Century; and another article in in 1967, entitled “A Dilemma Concerning the Compatibility Between Creative and Arithmetical Measures.”
Over Kendrick’s entire career he has displayed his artwork in numerous exhibitions and collections throughout the United States.
Dale Kendrick married Betty L. Perna in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, on August 4, 1962. Together they had two children, Roch Kendrick and Dunnell Kendrick-Parker.
Kendrick, and his wife, Betty, owned and operated the Behind the Brewery Gallery at 1026 S. Front Street from 1970-2011. Behind the Brewery was both a gallery to showcase artists from around the United States as well a place at which both Kendrick and his wife taught art classes for children, pottery programs with visiting potters, and Dale taught watercolor classes for adults.
Kendrick cited his main artistic influences as Larry Rivers and French, and especially, German expressionists.
In 1994, Kendrick’s proposal to create “The Scroll” sculpture as submitted to the City of La Crosse Sculpture Advisory Committee was approved. “The Scroll” sculpture’s full title is “Scrolled Tablets of Pictographs Celebrate the Creating of Letters Making Word into Written Languages for Human Expressions” and was an examination of the use of hieroglyphs as an art form. For many years Kendrick made trips and led tour groups to Egypt, Greece, Turkey, and Italy. Influences from these travels can be seen in his artwork, especially in “The Scroll.”
Dale Kendrick died on October 31, 2003.
Historical Note
| Timeline of "The Scroll" and its Maker | |
|---|---|
| 02/17/1928 | Dale Kendrick was born in Wichita, Kansas |
| 1950 | Dale Kendrick received his BS degree from Ball State University |
| 1951 | Dale Kendrick received his MA degree from the State University of Iowa |
| 1956-1958 | Dale Kendrick was Visiting Lecturer at the University of Wisconsin-Madison |
| 1960 | Dale Kendrick received his PhD from Penn State University |
| 1960-1974 | Dale Kendrick was Professor and Department Chairman at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse |
| 1961-1981 | Dale Kendrick painted under the name of VADEEKAY, a pen name from his initials V.D.K. Dale Kendrick's research interests included erotic art, hieroglyphics, and symbols |
| 1966-2003 | Dale and Betty Kendrick owned and operated the Behind the Brewery Gallery |
| 1970-1976 | Dale Kendrick created "Earth Corings, The Jewish God as a Phallic Symbol and Grid Paintings" |
| 1974-1990 | Dale Kendrick was an Art Professor at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse |
| 1975-1977 | Dale Kendrick created "Erotic Art-The Phallus as a Regenerative Symbol" |
| 1977 | Dale Kendrick exhibited a one-man show "The Phallus As A Contemporary Weapon" at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater Gallery |
| 1978 | Dale Kendrick exhibited a one-man show "The Phallus - Regenerative Symbol and Weapon" at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse |
| 1982-2003 | Dale Kendrick painted under his own name "Dale Kendrick" |
| 1982-1989 | Dale Kendrick created "Wrappings, Unfolding Ancient Scrolls" |
| 1988-1990 | Dale Kendrick created "Ancient Tapestries & Tablets" |
| 1993-1998 | Dale Kendrick’s public sculpture “The Scroll” was designed and constructed The total estimated cost to construct the sculpture was $75,000 52 tablets were cast in bronze and 50 tons of cement were used to pour the cradle that supported the scroll and tablets Hieroglyphic tablet models were sold to sponsors Area business provided in kind donations to offset the costs The remaining $45,000 was raised from the community |
| 1994 | Dale Kendrick was awarded $200 by the Sculpture Advisory Committee for his "Scroll" design The Sculpture Advisory Committee expressed their wish to realize Kendrick's design as a public sculpture |
| 1996-1998 | Hieroglyphic tablets were sold to sponsors to raise money for the "Scroll" project |
| 1997 | Dale Kendrick travels to Aswan, Egypt from February into March |
| 1998 | Dale Kendrick travels to Aswan, Egypt again from February into March |
| 06/27/1998 | “The Scroll” was dedicated in La Crosse, Wisconsin |
| 1998-2001 | "The Scroll" faced maintenance and landscaping issues, and was caught up in a debate over which organizations or offices were meant to be looking after it |
| 2003 | Dale Kendrick, creator of "The Scroll," dies on Friday, October 31, 2003. |
| 2013 | "The Scroll" statue is dismantled and removed from Third Street by La Crosse Arts Board. The 52 bronze tablets are salvaged and placed in storage. |
Scope and Contents
"The Scroll" collection is chronoicaly arranged and includes Dale Kendrick's public sculpture proposal and artist renderings; hieroglyphics research notes and sketches; patron subscription forms and newsletters; La Crosse Tribune patron advertisements and articles on the progress of the sculpture construction; correspondence between Kendrick and the Lunde Foundry (Holmen, Wis.); correspondence between Kendrick and a La Crosse Tribune engineer on maintenance problems and plans; correspondence between Kendrick and City of La Crosse government offices on permissions and provisions pertaining to the liabilities and responsibilities of the sculpture project, maintenance, and landscaping upkeep; landscaping proposals from local master gardeners and correspondence between Kendrick and River City Lawnscape; and photographs (mostly undated) of "The Scroll's" construction at Lunde Foundry, artist renderings of hieroglyphic tablets, and the sculpture's dedication ceremony.
Arrangement
The Dale Kendrick Materials related to "The Scroll" Sculpture in La Crosse, Wisconsin, Records are arranged chronologically, with tabs placed to mark the years. The photographs have been kept in original order, which is generally chronological, though the photographs of the planned hieroglyphic tablets predate photographs of the dedication ceremony.
Administrative Information
Publication Information
La Crosse Public Library Archives 2012 July
800 Main St.La Crosse, Wisconsin, 54601
(608) 789-7136
archives@lacrosselibrary.org
Revision Description
2016 December
Access to Materials
Materials in this collection are available for patron use.
Acquisitions Information
(Accession No. 2012.034) Donated by Betty Kendrick, former owner of the Behind the Brewery Gallery and widow of Dale, June 2012
Processing Information
Processed by Benjamin H. Lang, July 2012; reprocessed by Hannah L Weber, December 2016
Related Materials
Related Materials
- (MSS 129)
- Behind the Brewery Gallery (La Crosse, Wisconsin) Records
- (MSS 138)
- Dale Kendrick Materials related to the "Nein the Stein - Save the Skyline" campaign against Susan Sampson's "World's Largest Stein" design in La Crosse, Wisconsin, 1993-2004
- (921 K345R 2007)
- The Road she traveled. Betty Kendrick [videorecording] / interview and docudrama by La Sharra Durnford
- (921 K345S 2010)
- StoryCorps. Betty Kendrick [sound recording] / collected by StoryCorps ; sponsored by National Public Radio ; Corporation for Public Broadcasting ; support provided by La Crosse Public Library ; interviewed by Virginia Lora
- (977.571 L1198T 2007)
- "Thanks for the memories" : La Crosse Public Library Archives 25th anniversary memory booklet / compiled by the Archives staff with help from Dr. Charles "Chuck" Lee and Katie Adams
Controlled Access Headings
Personal Name(s)
- Kendrick, Dale, 1928-2003
Subject(s)
- Art--Wisconsin--La Crosse
- Artists--Wisconsin--La Crosse
- Hieroglyphics--Wisconsin--La Crosse
- Public sculpture--Wisconsin--La Crosse
Collection Inventory
| Box | Folder | |||
|
Biographical Materials and Initial Research and Sketches 1990 |
1 | 1 | ||
|
Project Approval and Sculpture Plan Materials 1994 |
1 | 2 | ||
|
Fundraising Efforts and Tablet Component Plan Materials 1996 |
1 | 3 | ||
|
Fountain Plans, Fundraising Efforts, and Municipal Agreement Correspondence 1997 |
1 | 4 | ||
|
Project Finalization, Dedication Ceremony, and Logistical Plan Materials 1998 |
1 | 5 | ||
|
Maintenance Correspondence 1999 |
1 | 6 | ||
|
Correspondence 2000 |
1 | 7 | ||
|
Maintenance and Landscaping Project Materials 2001 |
1 | 8 | ||
|
Landscaping Project Materials 2002 |
1 | 9 | ||
|
Tablet Donor List and Maintenance Correspondence 2003 |
1 | 10 | ||
|
Photographs of Creation and Final Sculpture, Design Layout Plans, and Media Clippings 1990-2003 |
1 | 11 | ||