Reds and Whites
At the base of the Oval on Centennial Campus, a new space empowers our Wolfpack to connect around a visionary work of art.
A Celebration of Wolfpack Ideals
NC State has long been renowned for fostering new generations of creators. In spring 2024, a new plaza was dedicated at Centennial Campus that honors our drive to advance the twin creative disciplines of design and engineering.
Consisting of a central space flanked by shade trees, the Susan Woodson Plaza is home to a dynamic work of interactive art, Reds and Whites, from the groundbreaking artist Larry Bell. The plaza and the artwork — a collection of sculpted glass designed to play off the reflective qualities of the color red — required a fusion of artistry and engineering to complete.
The finished installation now sits at the bottom of the Oval, just beyond the front doors of the James B. Hunt Jr. Library, welcoming visitors from our Wolfpack community and beyond to enjoy this new space celebrating our ideals as a university.
“This piece will create a new gathering space on Centennial Campus for the whole community to explore and enjoy.” — Susan Woodson
An Anchor for Our Campus
The inaugural project of the Centennial Campus Public Art Committee, Reds and Whites was commissioned to reflect NC State’s rise as an education innovator with an enduring work of art that could match the intrepid spirit of the Wolfpack. The project was funded entirely by the generous support of private donors with a passion for public art.
The committee — including Susan Woodson, wife of Chancellor Randy Woodson, and other campus leaders — worked with partners on and off our campus to bring this vision to life. Driving this collaboration was a shared desire to create a central gathering space on Centennial Campus that could complement the synergy on display in the classrooms, laboratories and workshops nearby.
Just as the Memorial Belltower, the Brickyard and other Hallowed Places have anchored the northern span of NC State’s campus for generations, Reds and Whites will anchor the southern portion of our campus for generations to come.
“People will come from around the country, from around the world, to enjoy this work of art.” — Dean Mark Hoversten, College of Design
Meet the Artist —
and the Art
Larry Bell has enjoyed a long and storied career. Hailed by former North Carolina Museum of Art Director Larry Wheeler as “the preeminent artist of the Light and Space movement” — a group of West Coast artists united by a desire to explore the relationship between art and environment through the sculptural qualities of their work — Bell is the visionary behind Reds and Whites.
Reds and Whites consists of a series of large, translucent glass pieces imbued with a reflective finish, set in a plaza outside the entrance to Hunt Library. The pieces are designed to integrate the transient aspects of their surroundings — changing seasons and shifting light — to create a unique visual experience for every visitor.
