Shield - Denton, TX
N 33° 12.586 W 097° 08.866
14S E 672629 N 3676071
"Shield", a creation of UNT alumnus, Jesús Bautista Moroles, was placed near the south entrance of the University Union on the campus of the University of North Texas in May of 2016.
Waymark Code: WM12WXF
Location: Texas, United States
Date Posted: 07/28/2020
Views: 4
There is a brief but interesting
time-lapse video available on the university's website, although it, like so many articles about the piece, incorrectly state that the sculpture stands only eight feet high. A simple glance reveals that to be incorrect. Standing eighteen feet high and made of granite, the two sides of the shield are comprised of four sections each, assembled together with a look evocative of stacked logs. There has to be a good story to this one, but there's not much to be found online: As Mr. Moroles passed on in 2015, one would think there would be some documentation as to his involvement in the project. "Shield" may have simply been a drawing brought to life posthumously by his friend, Jerome Westheimer, Jr.
A memorial to the artist stands in front of the sculpture, with inset photos of Mr. Moroles and the sculpture's benefactor, Jerome Westheimer, Jr. It reads:
Jesús Bautista Moroles ('78)
September 22, 1950 - June 15, 2015
American granite sculptor Jesús Bautista Moroles received his Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of North Texas in 1978. He apprenticed under renowned sculptor Luis Jiménez after graduation before working in Pietrasanta, Italy, for a year.
In 1983, Moroles built a studio in Rockport, Texas. Moroles' passion became a family effort with the artist involving his parents José and María Moroles, his brother Hilario, his sister Suzanna, and brother-in-law, Kurt Kangas, as integral parts of the Moroles Studio. The studio is unequaled in the country for making large-scale sculptures.
Moroles received the Texas Medal of Arts in 2007, followed by the National Medal of Arts, awarded in 2008 in a ceremony held at the White House. In 2011, he was designated a Texas State Artist by the Texas Commission on the Arts.
The sculpture, SHIELD, was commissioned for the University of North Texas with a generous gift from Jerome "Bruzzy" ('65) Westheimer, Jr. and his wife, Gloria. The monumental sculpture weighs 20 tons and is made of Sunset Red granite.